SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Extradition

Simon Hughes: To ask the Solicitor-General what the policy of the United Kingdom Government is on requesting extradition of individuals accused of torturing British nationals abroad, in the absence of a pending prosecution in the country where the accused is located.

Harriet Harman: The courts of England and Wales may have jurisdiction in respect of an offence committed abroad if the offender, or the victim, is a British national. Once such jurisdiction is established then the procedures for investigating and prosecuting the case are the same as for any case prosecuted in the courts of England and Wales. The police are responsible for investigating allegations of criminal offences and for obtaining admissible evidence to prove the alleged offence. The CPS is responsible for the prosecution of all criminal cases resulting from police investigations. The police ask the advice of the CPS before charging any person with a criminal offence.
	In complex and serious cases such as potential offences involving torture, the police will invariably consult with the CPS for advice on the sufficiency of the evidence before a person is charged. The CPS will consider each case that is passed to it by the police. Each case is carefully considered to assess whether it meets the test set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors, issued under section 10 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985. Once the CPS has decided to start a prosecution, if the alleged offender is located abroad the CPS will refer an application for extradition to the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will forward the request through the appropriate diplomatic channels.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Compensation Orders

Annette Brooke: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many compensation orders were awarded at (a) magistrates' courts and (b) Crown courts in each year since 2000; what the rate of default was in (i) each year and (ii) each court; and if he will make a statement.

Christopher Leslie: Information on compensation orders in Magistrates' Courts has not been historically collected by the Department for Constitutional Affairs. However, the Home Office Criminal Statistics Publication (Table SI, 6(A)) shows that in 2000, 97,073 offenders were ordered to pay compensation (excluding summary motoring offences) and in 2001, 97,134 offenders were ordered to pay compensation (excluding summary motoring offences). Information on the rate of default is not currently collected as compensation orders are measured with confiscation orders and other fines and not isolated. Magistrates' Courts Committees (MCCs) have a responsibility for the collection of a range of debts imposed by both the magistrates' courts and the Crown Court. Debt collected includes compensation but also fees, fines, confiscation orders, legal aid contributions and some maintenance orders. It is not yet possible to separate out only compensation orders from the total. There are plans, however, to isolate compensation orders in debt analysis under the Libra Project from around Autumn 2004 onwards. This will involve the use of the Libra Application which is the new IT system being developed for the Magistrates' Courts.
	Figures concerning the number of compensation orders made in the Crown Court for the years 2000–02 are as follows. This information relates to defendants, not cases:
	2000—6,892
	2001—6,732
	2002—7,100
	Unfortunately, I am unable to provide information on the rate of default as the monies are paid into Magistrates Courts and the figures aggregated in the way explained above.

Appointments Commission

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many people were interviewed for the position of chair of the House of Lords Appointments Commission when it was first established.

Christopher Leslie: My Department is not responsible for the present House of Lords Appointments Commission, which is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Cabinet Office. However, I understand that three people were interviewed for the post of chair when the Commission was first established.

Bailiffs

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many complaints have been made in each year since 1997 concerning the conduct of bailiffs; how many complaints have been investigated; how many complaints have resulted in a prosecution; how many convictions there were concerning the conduct of bailiffs; and if he will publish a list of banned bailiffs.

Christopher Leslie: holding answer 6 November 2003
	My Department is responsible for county court bailiffs only. Any complaint involving a county court bailiff, unless of a serious nature, is dealt with by the county court that s/he is assigned to. There is no database kept on complaints against individual bailiffs.
	There are Certificated Bailiffs who act in a private capacity. They are given their authority to do so for a period of two years, by their local county court judge, in accordance with the Distress for Rent Rules 1988. A complaint against a Certificated Bailiff is considered by a judge of the county court that granted the certificate. If the certificate is revoked the Department will be informed. The information will be recorded on the Register of Certificated Bailiffs that is kept centrally. The Register is open to public search through a central point of contact. No data is retained longer than three years. In 2001 two certificates were cancelled, in 2002, 13 were cancelled, and in 2003 to date 17 have been cancelled. Any prosecution would be taken by the member of the public affected by the action of a certificated bailiff. There is no data kept by the county court or the Department centrally.

Bechtel

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will list the contracts for consultancy and other work carried out by Bechtel in each year since 1997 for the Lord Chancellor's Department, stating in each case (a) the nature of the work, (b) the value of the contract and (c) the duration of the contract; and if he will make a statement.

David Lammy: According to our records, since 1997 the Lord Chancellor's Department has not entered into a contract with Bechtel for consultancy or other work.

Departmental Costs

Howard Flight: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the cost was to his Department and its predecessor of use for official business of (a) ministerial cars and drivers, (b) taxis, (c) train travel, (d) the use of helicopters, (e) airline tickets and (f) chartered aeroplanes in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: I refer the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs to the answer of the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Alexander) of 13 November 2003, Official Report, column 397W, which deals with part (a) and (f) on behalf of my Department.
	It is not possible to identify the Department's other travel costs without incurring disproportionate cost. The Department has published rules for official travel in its staff handbook and ministerial travel is governed by the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers.

Divorced Parents

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to his answer of 22 October 2003, Official Report, column 631, on divorced parents, if he will collect separate figures for the numbers of (a) fathers and (b) mothers granted leave to remove their children from the United Kingdom.

David Lammy: There are no plans to collect the data requested. No children statistics distinguish between orders in favour of mothers and fathers and to collect figures in this area would incur disproportionate cost. Figures are kept of the total number of orders made under section 13 of the Children Act 1989 for removal from the jurisdiction since 2000 (when figures were first collected). Separate figures are not held for mothers and fathers, though 333 such orders were made in 2002.

Law Commission (Acts)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs on what dates Acts have received Royal Assent enshrining legislative proposals published by the Law Commission since 1990.

David Lammy: The Law Commission Reports published since 1990, together with the titles of the Acts incorporating the Reports' recommendations and the dates on which those Acts received Royal Assent, are set out in the table.
	
		
			 Report No. Title Act Royal Assent 
		
		
			 1990 
			 192 Family Law: The Ground for Divorce (HC 636) Family Law Act 1996 (c 27) 04 July 1996 
			 193 Private International Law: Choice of Law in Tort and Delict (Joint Report—Scot Law Com No 1 29) (HC 65) Private International Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1995 (c 42) 08 November 1995 
			   
			 1991 
			 196 Rights of Suit in Respect of Carriage of Goods by Sea (Joint Report—Scot Law Com No 130) (HC 250) Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1992 (c 50) 16 July 1992 
			 199 Transfer of Land: Implied Covenants for Title (HC 437) Law of Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1994 (c 36) 03 November 1994 
			 202+ Criminal Law: Corroboration of Evidence in Criminal Trials (Cm 1620) Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (c 33) 03 November 1994 
			   
			 1992 
			 205 Criminal Law: Rape within Marriage (HC 167) Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (c 33) 03 November 1994 
			 207 Family Law: Domestic Violence and Occupation of the Family Home (HC l) Family Law Act 1996 (c 27) 04 July 1996 
			   
			 1993 
			 215 Sale of Goods Forming Part of a Bulk (Joint Report—Scot Law Com No 145) (HC 807) Sale of Goods (Amendment) Act 1995 (c 28) 19 July 1995 
			 216 The Hearsay Rule in Civil Proceedings (Cm 2321) Civil Evidence Act 1995 (c 38) 08 November 1995 
			 217 Family Law: The Effect of Divorce on Wills Law Reform (Succession) Act 1995 (c 41) 08 November 1995 
			   
			 1994 
			 220 The Law of Trusts: Delegation by Individual Trustees (HC 110) Trustee Delegation Act 1999 (c 15) 15 July 1999 
			 224 Structured Settlements and Interim and Provisional Damages (Cm 2646) In part by the Finance Act 1995 (c 4); Civil Evidence Act 1995 (c 38); and Damages Act 1996 (c 48) 01 May 199508 November 199524 July 1996 
			 226 Administrative Law: Judicial Review and Statutory Appeals (HC 669) In part by Housing Act 1996 (c 52) 24 July 1996 
			 228 Criminal Law: Conspiracy to Defraud (HC 11) Theft (Amendment) Act 1996 (c 62) 18 December 1996 
			   
			 1995 
			 230 Legislating the Criminal Code: The Year and a Day Rule in Homicide (HC 183) Law Reform (Year and a Day Rule) Act 1996 (c 19) 17 June 1996 
			 235 Transfer of Land: Land Registration (jointly with HM Land Registry) (Cm 2950) Land Registration Act 1997 (c2) 27 February 1997 
			   
			 1996 
			 242 Privity of Contract: Contracts for the Benefit of Third Parties (Cm 3329) Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 (c 31) 11 November 1999 
			 243 Offences of Dishonesty: Money Transfers (HC 690) Theft (Amendment) Act 1996 (c 62) 18 December 1996 
			   
			 1999 
			 260 Trustees' Powers and Duties (Joint Report—Scot Law Com No 166) (HC 538/SE2) Trustee Act 2000 (c 29) 23 November 2000 
			   
			 2001 
			 271 Land Registration for the Twenty-First Century (Joint Report with HM Land Registry) (HC 114) Land Registration Act 2002 (c 9) 26 February 2002 
		
	
	Note:
	This table does not contain 41 Consolidation Acts or the 3 Statute Law (Repeal) Acts passed since 1990.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act

Brian White: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what statutory investigatory powers the Department has; which ones will be superseded by use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000; and what plans he has for removing these legacy powers.

David Lammy: My Department has no existing statutory investigatory powers.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Community Fund

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  how many grants have been made from the Community Fund to projects in the East Worthing and Shoreham constituency since its inception;
	(2)  what the value is of grants made by the Community Fund to projects in the East Worthing and Shoreham constituency since its inception; and what the average value is of such grants per parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom;
	(3)  if she will list the projects in the East Worthing and Shoreham constituency which have benefited from Community Fund grants.

Estelle Morris: Since the Lottery's start, the Community Fund has made 32 grants in the East Worthing and Shoreham constituency. The following table lists the recipients of the awards, when they received this and how much it was for.
	The total value of awards received in the constituency of East Worthing and Shoreham from the Community Fund is £2,142,779.
	UK constituencies on average have received £3,913,217 from the Community Fund.
	
		
			 Recipient Award amount (£) Award date 
		
		
			 Worthing Boys Club 105,616 11 June 1996 
			 Adur Furniture Network 98,000 11 June 1996 
			 The Sussex Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Centre Ltd. 44,000 17 December 1996 
			 Counselling For Carers 130,317 17 December 1996 
			 Adur Carers Association 193,172 17 December 1996 
			 Shoreham and District Mental Health Association 49,140 18 September 1997 
			 Adur Special Needs Project 101,999 18 September 1997 
			 1st Durrington Scout Group 175,000 18 September 1997 
			 Alchemist Scrap Store Ltd. 68,500 26 March 1998 
			 Sompting Parish Hall 31,654 30 September 1998 
			 Adur Independent Mediation Service 3,691 5 November1998 
			 Adur Carers Association 103,000 4 March 1999 
			 Adur Community Transport Ltd. 70,283 4 March 1999 
			 6th Shoreham-by-Sea Sea Scouts 4,950 11 March 1999 
			 Fishersgate Community Association 104,863 5 August 1999 
			 The Club 4,258 1 September 1999 
			 Shoreham and District Mental Health Association 938 1 September 1999 
			 Broadwater (Worthing) Community Association 2,500 11 November 1999 
			 Adur Carers Association 161,020 30 August 2000 
			 Hurstfield Residents Association 735 20 September 2000 
			 Lancing and Sompting Citizens Advice Bureau 146,856 27 October 2000 
			 Adur Council For Voluntary Service 178,019 27 October 2000 
			 Shoreham and Southwick U3A 4,242 22 November 2000 
			 Shoreham and District Mental Health Association 75,941 20 December 2000 
			 West Sussex Association for the Disabled 2,925 16 May 2001 
			 Adur (Tenants and Leaseholders) Consultative Forum 1,006 18 July 2001 
			 Broadwater (Worthing) Community Association 3,201 26 September 2001 
			 4th Worthing Scout Group 5,000 29 November 2001 
			 Worthing And District Crossroads Care Attendant Scheme 3,885 27 March 2002 
			 Shoreham and District Mental Health Association 33,316 4 December 2002 
			 St. John Ambulance 152,701 22 January 2003 
			 Lancing and Sompting Citizens Advice Bureau 82,051 25 March 2003 
		
	
	This is derived from the Department's Awards Database and is based on information supplied by the distributing bodies.

Design

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support her Department is giving to the promotion of design (a) initiatives and (b) education.

Patricia Hewitt: I have been asked to reply.
	The more effective use of design throughout the British economy would improve prosperity and productivity. We promote design through the work of the Design Council, which is funded by the DTL.
	For example, the Design Council's "Design Demonstrations" projects with companies provide exemplars of how design can radically improve performance. These projects are with manufacturing and emerging technology companies. The outputs will support awareness campaigns, to be undertaken with Regional Development Agencies and Business Link, to reach a wider business audience.
	In education, the Design Council's "Design in Schools Week" places professionals in schools to inspire design and technology students and teachers. In 2002, 302 designers worked in 295 schools, this year, 372 designers worked in 360 schools.
	Business Link and the Manufacturing Advisory Service provide extensive advice and brokerage services on design.

Digital Terrestrial Television

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of households in Scotland are able to receive digital terrestrial television services.

Estelle Morris: I understand from the BBC that the percentage of households in Scotland, able to receive digital terrestrial television services is 80.5 per cent. Further information can be found on the Freeview website: www.freeview.co.uk.

National Lottery Ticket Sales

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many National Lottery ticket sales there were in the (a) EH30, (b) EH29, (c) EH28, (d) EH12, (e) EH4 and (f) EH11 postcode areas in each of the last 10 years; and how much was raised in each case.

Estelle Morris: Information on the number of National Lottery tickets sold is not available by postcode area. Revenue raised through ticket sales is not calculated by postcode on an on-going basis. However, in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Morley and Rothwell (Mr. Challen) on 22 October 2002, Official Report, columns 182–83, my right hon. Friend the Minister for Sport and Tourism placed in the Library a table listing sales by postcode area since the Lottery's launch. I will provide an update of the table to the hon. Member as soon as it is available, and place a copy in the Libraries of both Houses.

Olympic Sports

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support will be given to Olympic sports in which UK participants in the Sydney Olympics gained medals.

Tessa Jowell: All Olympic sports that won medals in Sydney have had their funding confirmed to 31 March 2005. The National Governing Bodies of these sports are all preparing draft World Class programme plans for the Beijing Olympiad by March 2004 and refining those plans post Athens, by November 2004. The Sports Councils will review the plans during December and January and decisions on funding effective from April 2005 will be taken in January and February 2005.

Regional News

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will request the Independent Television Commission to insist that television companies uphold franchise and licensing agreements relating to the broadcasting of regional news from specific county locations during the term of any franchise; and if she will make a statement.

Estelle Morris: This is a matter for the Independent Television Commission.

Social Inclusion

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with (a) regional cultural consortia, (b) libraries and (c) museums on measures to promote social inclusion in relation to access to (i) the arts and (ii) sport.

Estelle Morris: Departmental Ministers have regular discussions about social inclusion and access with representatives of our sectors, including libraries, museums and a wide variety of regional interests. We are pursuing access and inclusion through a range of initiatives that feed into our Public Service Agreement objectives and targets. The Department is also working closely with the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit and the Home Office to promote and support sports and cultural activities as ways of reducing social exclusion, through the building of community cohesion and trust and individual self-esteem and skills.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Attention Deficit Disorder

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to introduce in Northern Ireland non-drug behavioural therapies used in the United States for the treatment of attention deficit disorder; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a very complex disorder with both genetic and environmental components to its aetiology. There is established evidence that medication is an effective mainstay of management and should be used within an overall package of care and support. This package should include advice around management of behaviour for parents, carers and teachers. Considerable local expertise is available through the child and adolescent mental health teams. If specific non-drug behavioural therapies are used this would be at the discretion of the clinicians.

Benefit Payments

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was paid in (a) disability living allowance, (b) unemployment benefit and (c) incapacity benefit in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

John Spellar: The most recent figures available are attached in the following table:
	
		
			 Benefit Expenditure from October 2002–September 2003 (£000) 
		
		
			 Disability living allowance 493,526 
			 Jobseekers allowance—income based 89,249 
			 Jobseekers allowance—contributory based 14,719 
			 Incapacity benefit 319,061 
			 Total 916,555 
		
	
	Note:
	Unemployment benefit has now been replaced by jobseekers allowance, both income-based and contributory-based.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease there were in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Ian Pearson: The following table gives the number of deaths resulting from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, registered in Northern Ireland from 1998 to 2002.
	
		Number of registered deaths by year in Northern Ireland resulting from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
		
			  Deaths 
		
		
			 1998 627 
			 1999 704 
			 2000 610 
			 2001 584 
			 2002 553

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to reduce the incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: Although there is evidence of some genetic component to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the majority of cases are associated with smoking, exposure to air pollution, including that caused by environmental tobacco smoke, and lung damage arising from respiratory infections.
	The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety published a five year Tobacco Action Plan in July 2003. The Plan addresses a number of key issues, including prevention, helping smokers to quit and protecting the public from tobacco smoke. An Implementation Group, under the chairmanship of the Chief Medical Officer, is taking forward the 24 action points identified in the Plan.

Driving Licences

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which countries are on the list of those whose driving licence is transferable to a Northern Ireland one; what criteria are used in deciding whether a country's driving licence is transferable to Northern Ireland; for what reason South Africa is excluded from this list; and what plans he has to amend the arrangements to include South Africa.

Angela Smith: There are 14 countries and territories currently designated for the purposes of exchangeable licences in Northern Ireland, namely Australia, Austria, Barbados, the Republic of Cyprus, Finland, Gibraltar, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Sweden and Zimbabwe, and the territories of Hong Kong and the British Virgin Islands.
	In determining the suitability of a country for exchange purposes, the driver testing and licensing systems are assessed, to ensure that the drivers meet standards that are comparable to those in Northern Ireland. This includes an assessment of the driving test, the integrity of licensing system and the nature and format of the licence itself.
	With regard to the Republic of South Africa (RSA), it is accepted that the nature of the driving test and the general driving standards are comparable to those in Northern Ireland. However, further consideration is being given to the integrity of the system for issuing licences. Furthermore, the RSA driving licence does not indicate whether it has been issued in exchange for a licence from a third country. This is important since the standards in that third country may not have been assessed against Northern Ireland standards.
	The Department of the Environment is continuing to assess the suitability of licences from RSA for exchange. The Department is also developing proposals to amend the relevant legislation to enable selective recognition of licences from other countries so that, for example, licences which had been issued in exchange for a licence from a third country, which does not meet Northern Ireland standards, could be excluded from the exchange arrangements. This will bring exchange arrangements in Northern Ireland into line with those in Great Britain. Depending on the availability of legislative opportunities, it is hoped to have the amendment in place before the end of 2005.

Hare Coursing

Colin Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the impact of illegal coursing on the population of the Irish hare; and if he will commission research on the size of the population.

Angela Smith: No assessment has been made of the impact of illegal coursing on the population of the Irish hare in Northern Ireland.
	The Irish Hare Species Action Plan, published by the Department of the Environment in 2000, identifies the need to carry out regular surveys of the Irish hare population in Northern Ireland. The purpose of these surveys is to estimate the size of the population and make deductions about the causes of any movement in the estimated numbers. A baseline survey was completed in 1997; this was followed by "The Northern Ireland Irish Hare Survey 2002", carried out by Professor Montgomery's research team at The Queen's University of Belfast. The Department will carry out regular, similar research into surveys of the Irish hare population to measure progress against the Species Action Plan targets "to maintain the existing range and to demonstrate a population increase by 2005; and to double the present population by 2010 over as much of the range as possible". The next of the surveys will be commissioned in spring 2004.
	Separate research is also under way at Queen's University into the status and population dynamics of the Irish Hare, using DNA techniques, and on the ecology of the Irish hare.
	Copies of the documents referred to above have been placed in the Library.

National Employment Plans

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made to implement and monitor National Employment Plans in Northern Ireland.

Jane Kennedy: There is no separate Northern Ireland 'National Employment Plan' although our labour market plans are included within my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's 'Draft Priorities and Budget 2004–07' document and the Department for Employment and Learning's 'Service Delivery Agreement 2003–04'. Copies of these documents are available in the Library. Northern Ireland contributes, as do Scotland and Wales, to the National Employment Action Plan for the UK.
	In Northern Ireland, Government programmes, and projects receiving European funding, address the key European Employment Strategy issues of employability, skills needs, entrepreneurship and equal opportunities in the labour market. Northern Ireland contributes information on the implementation of programmes and projects as part of the monitoring of national progress against the Employment Guidelines issued by the European Commission.

WALES

Departmental Costs

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the cost was to his Department for (a) ministerial cars and drivers, (b) taxis, (c) train travel, (d) the use of helicopters, (e) airline tickets and (f) chartered aeroplanes in each year since 1997.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office was created in July 1999.
	(a) I refer the hon. member to the reply which he received from Mr. N Matheson of the Government Car and Dispatch Agency (a copy of which can be found in the Libraries of the House of Commons) which addressed this issue.
	
		(b) Cost to the department of taxis 
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1999–2000(1) 310 
			 2000–01 1,266 
			 2001–02 2,851 
			 2002–03 796 
			 2003(2)– 912 
		
	
	(1) From July 1999
	(2) To date
	These figures exclude any amounts spent on taxis, black cabs and licensed hackney carriages outside departmental contracts and reclaimed by officials as travel and subsistence expenditure. That information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		(c) Cost to the department of trains
		
			  £ 
		
		
			  
			  
			 1999–2000(3) 35,239 
			 2000–01 62,121 
			 2001–02 84,423 
			 2002–03 124,035 
			 2003– 67,895 
		
	
	(3) From July 1999
	(4) To date
	(d) and (f) The Wales Office has never used helicopters or chartered planes.
	
		(e) Cost to the department of air line tickets
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1999–2000(5) 105 
			 2000–01 6,851 
			 2001–02 5,283 
			 2002–03 695 
			 2003(6)– 95 
		
	
	(5) From July 1999
	(6) To date

Market Research

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list each item of market and opinion research commissioned since May 1997 by (a) his Department and (b) agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible; what the purpose of each item was; and whether the results were published.

Don Touhig: The Wales Office was established in 1999. Since then the Wales Office has not commissioned any market or opinion research.

New Jobs

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  how many new jobs there are in (a) the private sector and (b) the public sector in Wales;
	(2)  how many new jobs there have been in (a) the private sector and (b) the public sector in Wales since 1997.

Don Touhig: Comparing the 12 months to August 2003 with 1997, there has been an increase of 49,000 people employed in the public sector and 61,000 employed in the private sector in Wales.
	Source:
	Labour Force Survey

Performance Monitoring

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the total cost was of (a) setting, (b) monitoring and (c) measuring the performance targets for his Department in 2002–03; and how many and what grades of civil servants monitor these targets.

Don Touhig: The setting, measuring and monitoring of Wales Office's performance targets is an integral part of the job of all managers. It is not possible to disaggregate the cost. The Wales Office Management Board regularly reviews targets. It consists of the eight most senior people in the Department. Their grades are 3 (one person), 6 (four people) and 7 (three people).

Performance Monitoring

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the performance targets that (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies are required to meet; and if he will specify for each target (i) who sets it and (ii) who monitors achievement against it.

Don Touhig: This information is published in the Wales Office Departmental Report (Cm 5928), copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
	The targets are set by Ministers on the advice of the Management Board and are monitored by Ministers and the Management Board.

Work-related Stress

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many cases of work-related stress have been reported in his Department in each of the last three years; how much compensation has been paid to employees; how many work days have been lost due to work-related stress, and at what cost, what procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress, and at what cost; and if he will make a statement.

Don Touhig: Detailed sick absence statistics are derived from medical and self-certificates, which are completed by staff or their GPs. While certain illnesses, such as "depression", "anxiety", "general debility" and even "stress" may be indicated on certificates, it is not possible to determine levels of "work-related stress". Consequently, we have no details on the number of working days lost due to work-related stress or the cost to the Department.
	The Wales Office staff have available to them the resources of the National Assembly, and since June 2003, of the Department for Constitutional Affairs in tackling stress. These include a range of stress management courses for both line managers and employees, Health, Safety and Welfare intranet site, a stress handbook for line managers, and a fully trained in-house Welfare service.
	The Department offers flexible working patterns, enabling staff to adopt more effective working patterns to better balance their work and home life.
	We have a legal obligation to provide a safe working environment for all our staff and, under the Government's Revitalising Health and Safety initiative, we are committed to meeting targets for reducing the number of working days lost generally to work-related injuries and illnesses.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Pension Schemes

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures are in place to protect the (a) values and (b) benefits of pension fund schemes created by the former publicly owned industries.

Malcolm Wicks: Responsibility for the pension fund schemes created by the former publicly owned industries is a matter for the relevant sponsor Departments, or their successors, and the successor companies themselves. More generally, however, we have proposed a range of protection measures which will apply to the pension funds created by the former publicly owned industries in the same way as they will to those of any other privately owned company.
	Through the introduction of the new Pension Protection Fund, we are taking action to make sure that members of defined benefit schemes will still have the secure retirement they were expecting. The Government has also published and consulted on draft regulations that increase the debt due from solvent employers when their salary-related pension scheme is wound up. In addition we are at present consulting on draft Regulations on the proposed new priority order.

Pension Schemes

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will introduce legislation to prevent employers from taking contribution holidays from their employees' pension fund schemes.

Malcolm Wicks: No.
	Since pension provision by employers is voluntary, the levels of contributions are a matter for agreement between pension scheme trustees and sponsoring employers.
	Under the new scheme-specific funding regime which will replace the Minimum Funding Requirement, trustees and sponsoring employers will be required to develop and agree, with the scheme actuary's advice, the funding principles for their scheme—including a determination of whether the level of contributions is sufficient to meet a scheme's long-term pension commitments.
	The new simplified tax regime for approved pension schemes (set out in the document "Simplifying the taxation of pensions: increasing choice and flexibility for all" (December 2002)) would abolish the rules requiring approved occupational pension schemes to run off their surplus funds (for example by agreeing contributions holidays) or lose their full tax exempt status. In addition, the document "Action on Occupational Pensions" announced that pension funds will no longer be able to make payments of surplus to employers from an actuarial surplus only where the scheme was funded above a level sufficient to secure full buy-out of scheme liabilities.

Pension Credit

Eric Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to maximise take-up of pension credit.

Malcolm Wicks: We want every pensioner to take up their entitlement. At the heart of our marketing campaign is a direct mail pack to all pensioner households who have not been converted to pension credit automatically. We will have written to all pensioner households by June 2004. To support this process we are running an advertising campaign on TV, radio and in the press to encourage pensioners to apply.
	The Pension Service Local Service are also playing a key role in take-up of pension credit, particularly in encouraging pensioners who traditionally do not take up their entitlement to apply. Working closely with key partners such as Citizens Advice, Age Concern and local authorities and with local voluntary organisations the local service reach these pensioners at locations that suit their needs. Activities being undertaken include awareness sessions, information surgeries and take-up campaigns. Over this month the Local Service has held or plans to hold over 1,300 events which are expected to reach around 117,000 people.

Pension Credit

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners he estimates will be in receipt of means-tested benefits as a result of the introduction of the pension credit by 2004–05.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department estimates that in 2004–05 there will be approximately three million pensioner benefit units receiving income related benefits.

Pension Credit

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the pension credit.

Malcolm Wicks: Pension credit is making a real difference to the lives of millions of pensioners. As the Secretary of State reported on 11 November, at the end of October there were already 1.97 million pensioner households, around 2.3 million individuals, receiving pension credit. And 1.2 million households, around 1.4 million individuals, are now receiving more money than they did before, with the average award being £47.10 per week, Official Report, 11 November 2003, column 18WS.
	Our advertising campaign is continuing and we are working with partner organisations, such as Help The Aged, Age Concern and Citizens Advice, to fulfil our aspiration that every pensioner takes up their entitlement.
	And it is not too late to apply. Anyone who makes an application before October 2004, where entitlement exists, will have their award backdated to October 2003, or to the date entitlement begins if this is later.

Pension Credit

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what he estimates that the average (a) single pensioner and (b) pensioner couple will receive each week under the pension credit in (a) the North West region, (b) Merseyside and (c) St. Helens South.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is for estimates. The figures set out in the following table are the actual average amounts.
	
		Weekly average amount in payment (£)
		
			 Area All claimants Couples Singles 
		
		
			 North West and Merseyside (GOR) 45.92 58.26 43.30 
			 Merseyside Metropolitan County Council 46.24 56.66 43.95 
			 St. Helens South Parliamentary Constituency 44.63 55.37 42.23 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are based on 100 per cent. Generalised Matching Service (GMS) data.
	2. Local authorities, Government Office Regions (GOR), and Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. sample

Pension Credit

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) the north west region, (b) Merseyside and (c) St. Helens South have claimed the pension credit.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is not available in the format requested.
	As at 17 October 2003 the number of people receiving pension credit in St. Helens South was 3,615, in Merseyside Metropolitan 67,185, and in the north west and Merseyside region 261,250.
	Notes:
	1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest five.
	2. Figures are based on 100 per cent. Generalised Matching Service (CMS) data.
	3. Local authorities, Government Office Regions (GOR), and parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. sample.

Pension Credit

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by how much he estimates the income of the average (a) single pensioner and (b) pensioner couples will change under the pension credit for (i) the north west region, (ii) Merseyside and (iii) St. Helens, South compared with that in 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is not available in the format requested.
	As at 17 October 2003 the average weekly gain for those on Pension Credit is indicated in the table.
	
		Average weekly gain (£)
		
			 Area All claimants Couples Singles 
		
		
			 North west and Merseyside 5.31 7.40 4.86 
			 Merseyside Metropolitan County Council 5.59 7.98 5.05 
			 St. Helens, South Parliamentary Constituency 6.21 8.06 5.78 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures produced by IAD from 100 per cent Generalised Matching Service (GMS) data at 17 October 2003.
	2. Gainer figures have been produced by comparing Pension Credit amount at 17 October 2003 with MIG amount immediately prior to introduction of Pension Credit.
	3. Local authorities, Government Office Regions (GOR), and parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent sample.
	The Government will be spending around £8 billion extra on pensioners in 2003–04 as a result of the measures introduced since 1997. This includes around £3.75 billion on the poorest third of pensioners—the very people who need help the most. This is almost six times as much as an earnings link to the basic state pension since 1998 would have given them.
	Following the introduction of the Pension Credit, the average pensioner household will be £1,250 per year, or £24 per week, better off due to the Government's personal tax and benefit changes than they would have been under the 1997 system.

Pension Credit

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the Government's plans are to ensure maximum take-up in (a) the north west region, (b) Merseyside and (c) St. Helens South of the pension credit.

Malcolm Wicks: I refer my hon. Friend to the written answer which I gave to the hon. Member for Eltham (Clive Efford) on 15 September 2003, Official Report, column 559W. The Pension Service local service continues to work with partner organisations in the north west, Merseyside and St. Helens South, including Age Concern, local authorities and local voluntary organisations, to tell pensioners about pension credit, raise awareness and encourage those eligible to apply. Activities at the local level are particularly aimed at encouraging applications from pensioners who traditionally do not take up their entitlement and include awareness sessions, information surgeries and take-up campaigns.

Pension Credit

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) the North West region, (b) Merseyside and (c) St. Helens South are entitled to the pension credit.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is not available in the format requested but we estimate that around 500,000 pensioner households in the North West and Merseyside region are eligible for Pension Credit.

Unemployment

David Borrow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on long-term trends in unemployment.

Des Browne: Labour market statistics continue to show employment growing and unemployment on a downward trend. In the last month the unemployment figure fell from 3.1 per cent. to 3.0 per cent., the lowest figure in over 25 years.
	These are great achievements. But we know we still have more to do. We are working to ensure that all groups of people, in all parts of the country, have access to job opportunities and are given the support they need to overcome the barriers they face.

Pensioner Incomes

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the effect of Government policy on the incomes of (a) the poorest pensioners and (b) all pensioners.

Malcolm Wicks: As a result of Government measures already undertaken since 1997, including the introduction of pension credit in October, on average:
	pensioner households will be £1,250 a year better off in real terms—around £24 extra a week; and
	the poorest third of pensioner households will have gained £1,600 a year in real terms.
	Providing a decent income for the poorest pensioners is key. Since April 2003, no pensioner has to get by on less than £102.10 per week (£155.80 for couples).

Age Discrimination

Nick Palmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to bring about the early elimination of age discrimination in employment.

Des Browne: We are committed to introducing legislation to outlaw age discrimination in employment in October 2006. Meanwhile we shall continue to promote the employment of those aged 50 and over through our Age Positive Campaign.

Asbestos Surveyors

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many United Kingdom Accreditation Service asbestos surveyors are registered in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) has accredited 50 organisations that carry out inspections for asbestos in buildings. A further 40 organisations have applied for accreditation. The Department holds no information on the numbers of surveyors employed by these organisations.

Council Tax Benefit

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to encourage people on low incomes to claim council tax benefit.

Chris Pond: Local authorities have a statutory duty to promote council tax benefit for which they use leaflets, posters and information on websites. Most authorities also include information when issuing council tax bills.
	A specific leaflet on council tax benefit is available from post offices, as well as information included in generic departmental guides.

Automated Credit Transfer

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have migrated from over-the-counter post office benefit payments to direct bank transfer since 1 April in (a) Haltemprice and Howden, (b) the East Riding of Yorkshire and (c) England.

Chris Pond: The information is not available in the precise format requested.
	Information has been compiled from the data available on 22 March 2003 and that available on 6 September 2003, and is shown in the following table.
	
		Number of customers receiving benefits that have migrated from payments at post offices to those paid into bank, building society or Post Office card accounts, which may also be collectable at post offices, between 22 March 2003 and 6 September 2003
		
			  Number of customers 
		
		
			 Haltemprice and Howden constituency 1,570 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire local authority 6,615 
			 England 977,770 
		
	
	The above figures are payload not caseload figures, therefore a claimant may be counted more than once if they are on several benefits.
	Notes:
	Customers who have chosen to be paid into a bank account a Post Office card account will continue to be paid by order book until their present order book runs out, and will not have been included in the numbers above where that order book was still current on 6 September.
	Source:
	DWP Information Centre, Information and Analysis Directorate (100 per cent. data).

Automated Credit Transfer

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of recipients in each benefit category do not have a bank account; what measures his Department is taking to encourage the take-up of the Post Office card accounts by those without a bank or building society account; and what targets his Department has set for the paying of benefits by automatic credit transfer to those without a bank or building society account.

Chris Pond: The following table shows the percentage of recipients in each benefit category that do not have a bank account suitable for direct payment. This information has been derived from the data used to compile the Family Resources Survey 1 (FRS) 2001–02.
	
		
			 Benefit Per cent. of recipients in each benefit category that do not have a bank account suitable fordirect payment 
		
		
			 Working age benefits 33 
			 Disability and carer's benefit 23 
			 Retirement pension(7) 10 
			 Child benefit 12 
			 War pensions 8 
			 All benefits 13 
		
	
	(7) Excluding MIG cases.
	The Department has a published Public Service Agreement target that by 2005, 85 per cent. of customers will have their benefits paid by direct payment. People are being provided with all the information they need on all of their "account options", including which accounts can be used at post office branches. It will be up to the customers themselves to decide which type of account they wish to have their money paid into. Already 87 per cent. of all customers have access to a bank account that can receive direct payment.
	The move to direct payment is progressing well. Key figures on the progress of conversion to direct payment are available in the Library, updated every four weeks.
	1 GB household survey of people aged 16 and above and not in full time, non-advanced education.

Carers Allowance

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people aged over 65 years in (a) Glasgow, Anniesland and (b) the United Kingdom, who have an underlying entitlement to carers allowance but who cannot receive it because they are also in receipt of the state pension.

Maria Eagle: Information for Great Britain is as follows.
	
		Number of people aged over 65 years who have an underlying entitlement to carers allowance but who do not receive payment due to the receipt of State Pension as at 31 May 2003
		
			  Number of people aged 65 and over who are entitled but do not receive payment 
		
		
			 Anniesland Glasgow 140 
			 Great Britain 54,625 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 5
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. sample
	It is assumed all people with an overlapping benefit who are over 65 are not receiving Carers Allowance because of State Pension.

Employment Statistics

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the number of people (a) in employment now and (b) in employment in 1997, broken down by (i) permanent and (ii) temporary employment.

Des Browne: Building on a platform of sound economic management, our welfare-to-work policies have helped increase the number of people in permanent employment by nearly two million since 1997.
	We are now at record levels of employment and this has been achieved against a background of economic stability. As the number of people in employment has risen, the number of people in temporary jobs has actually fallen by over 260,000.

Hospital Patients (Benefit Cuts)

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the abolition of benefit cuts for patients in the first 52 weeks of a hospital stay has cost his Department.

Malcolm Wicks: The estimated cost of increasing the period of time to 52 weeks before relevant benefits are reduced is £65 million per year.
	Notes:
	1. Costs are based on 2001–02 administrative data and average amounts. Numbers are rounded to the nearest million and expressed in 2003–04 terms.
	2. Costs take into account all benefits covered by the change from six to 52 weeks.

IT Expenditure

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what major IT projects with a value in excess of £10,000 he authorised expenditure on in each of the last three financial years.

Des Browne: Expenditure on projects is formally approved by the Department's governance process and authorised through review gates. These reviews ensure that projects are meeting the standards we expect (including business change, technical, financial and commercial criteria) before authority to progress to the next stage of their development is given.
	Major IT projects are those contained within our modernisation programme which is regularly reviewed by the Secretary of State. The following table outlines the major IT projects included in the programme during the period April 2000 to March 2003 and provides supplementary information regarding the stage each project has reached and its key achievements to date. For completeness it includes two major modernisation projects to create new infrastructure for Jobcentre Plus and the Pension Service.
	The key stages in the Department's project lifecycle are defined as follows:
	0. Initial feasibility
	1. Define and initiate
	2. Design changes
	3. Develop changes
	4. Implement changes; realise benefits
	It should be noted that project details may alter as they pass through the project lifecycle.
	
		
			 Project Name—2000–03 What stage theproject has reached Key achievements to date 
		
		
			 Child support reform (CSR) Implement Changes Since 3 March 2003, new child support claims have been calculated using the new rules and new IT. 
			 Customer management system Implement changes This system currently being rolled out will allow information supplied by customers to be gathered electronically by staff, improving efficiency and customer service. Staff will be able to check information supplied against that already held and issue the customer with a statement reflecting the information supplied. 
			 Debt management Implement changes October 2003: Nine out of ten debt centres now set-up. 
			 Digital office infrastructure (DOI) previously known as early office infrastructure Implement changes DOI aims to implement a modern IT infrastructure platform across the Department allowing staff access to modern business software. By October 2003 over 128.000 PCs had been installed. 
			 Modernising the employment service Realised benefits March 2001: Worktrain website launched.  
			   February 2001: network of Jobpoint kiosks completed.  
			   October 2001: Employer Direct service goes national. 
			 Corporate intranet Implement changes June 2001: Corporate Intranet redesigned to support creation of DWP.  
			   December 2002 all DWP staff have access to intranet following completion of DOI and MES desktops roll-outs. 
			 Jobcentre plus implementation Implement changes Rollout of integrated offices across the country, replacing the Social Security and Employment Offices (286 to date) currently in place. Jobcentre Plus offices allow customers to access employment opportunities and benefit information in a modern environment.  
			 New tax credits Implement changes January 2003: IT Gateway between Inland Revenue and DWP went live.  
			   April 2003: Payment of new awards of child tax credit and working tax credit start.  
			   October 2003: 30,000 minimum income guarantee child premium cases successfully completed. 
			 Payment modernisation programme Implement changes From April 2003: Direct payment becomes the normal method of payment for new customers. Benefit systems aligned to accommodate direct payments.  
			 Universal banking programme Implement changes 1 April 2003: Universal banking go live—new banking services available at post offices including Post Office card accounts. 
			 Pension credit Implement changes April 2003: Advance application for pension credit invited. 
			   May 2003: Minimum income guarantee to pension credit—conversion started.  
			   October 2003: Pension credit payable. 1.97 million pensioner households are now in receipt—of which 82,000 are as a result of new pension credit awards in October. Pension credit application line have taken their millionth call. 
			 Pensions transformation programme (PTP) Design changes The project is currently focusing on designing and delivering changes to the Pension Service organisation, business processes, services and IT. 
			 Implementation of the Pension Service, including project empower Realised benefits 26 pension centres operational, including those part of the Project Empower (Burnley and Swansea) 
			 Resource management system Develop changes The project is configuring standard Oracle software and implementing best practice processes to replace the Department's existing resource management systems. 
			 Pensions forecasting Implement changes October 2001: Combined pensions forecasting service available. 
			 Interactive e-services Implement changes April 2003 customers are able to claim child benefit and provide information about changes of circumstances electronically via the internet. 
			 ISCS/JSAPS modernisation project Define and initiate The Department's updated IS/IT strategy has identified new ways of delivering IT improvements at lower risk. The modernisation of our income support and jobseekers allowance systems is now being taken forward in line with updated IS/IT strategy principles for example, a preference for commercially available packages rather than bespoke development and staged incremental improvements rather than "big bang" replacement. 
			 Modernising appeals programme Initial feasibility The programme was refocused in October 2003 because of doubts about its cost effectiveness. A new feasibility study has been commissioned to look at lower cost approaches, and to include any business change requirements resulting from the move to the Department of Constitutional Affairs.

Jobcentre Plus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the future of call centres in London for Jobcentre Plus clients.

Des Browne: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, David Anderson. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from David Anderson to Andrew Dismore, dated November 2003
	As Jobcentre Plus is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question about the future of call centres in London for Jobcentre Plus clients. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.
	Contact Centres are an essential part of the new Jobcentre Plus process and allow customers to make claims by telephone without the need to attend a Jobcentre Plus office. The range of services offered by contact centres will be increased in time, along with the ability for customers to make claims via the internet.
	The Department for Work and Pensions is currently undertaking a review with all of its operational businesses, including Jobcentre Plus, to determine overall requirements for contact centre capacity for the period up to 2007. This report is likely to be issued towards the end of the year. This will then inform decisions that will be made regarding the future of the three existing London contact centre sites.
	I hope this is helpful.

Market Research

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list each item of market and opinion research commissioned since May 1997 by (a) his Department and (b) agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible; what the purpose of each item was; and whether the results were published.

Des Browne: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Minimum Income Guarantee

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners he estimates in (a) the north west region, (b) Merseyside and (c) St. Helens, South are eligible for the Minimum Income Guarantee.

Malcolm Wicks: Minimum Income Guarantee was replaced by Pension Credit in October 2003. Estimates of the national number of pensioners previously eligible for, but not claiming the Minimum Income Guarantee, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit are included in the publication "Income-Related Benefits—Estimates of Take Up in 2000/2001", copies of which are available in the Library.
	Around 3.8 million pensioner households are eligible for Pension Credit nationally with around 500,000 in the north west and Merseyside region.

Minimum Income Guarantee

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in (a) the north west region, (b) Merseyside and (c) St. Helens South are in receipt of the minimum income guarantee.

Malcolm Wicks: As at May 2003, the number of minimum income guarantee recipients in St. Helens south was around 3,400, in Merseyside Metropolitan 61,800, and in the north west and Merseyside region, 248,600. These are the latest figures available.
	Pension credit replaced minimum income guarantee from 6 October 2003.
	Notes: 1. The MIG figure has been rounded to the nearest hundred. 2. The MIG figure is based on a 5 per cent. sample, and therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation. 3. Government office region/parliamentary constituency are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory. 4. MIG recipients are defined as income support benefit units where the claimant, and/or partner is aged 60 or over. Source: IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. sample

New Deal

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 10 November 2003, Official Report, column 148W, on the New Deal, how many 18 to 24-year-olds left the New Deal for Young People with known destinations; and what percentage of these have subsequently found full-time employment.

Des Browne: Since the start of the programme, there have been 643,450 1 leavers from New Deal for Young People to known destinations, of which 55 per cent. have left to unsubsidised employment.
	1 Includes people who may have left the programme more than once.

Pensioners (Benefits)

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the total value of benefits unclaimed by pensioners in each year since 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is not available.
	Estimates of take-up of income-related benefits for Great Britain are in the Department's reports titled "Income-Related Benefits—Estimates of Take-Up". Copies of all the reports in the series are in the Library.

Pensioners (Benefits)

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of public expenditure on (a) housing benefit for pensioners, (b) council tax benefit for pensioners and (c) pension credit as a percentage of gross domestic product in (i) 1997–98, (ii) 2002–03, (iii) 2010, (iv) 2020, (v) 2030, (vi) 2040, (vii) 2050 and (viii) for other years for which estimates have been made, assuming that the value of the pension credit increases in line with prices and that (A) pensioners' incomes from other sources rise in line with prices and (B) that pensioners' incomes from other sources rise in line with earnings;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of public expenditure on (a) housing benefit for pensioners, (b) council tax benefit for pensioners and (c) pension credit as a percentage of gross domestic product in (i) 1997–98, (ii) 2002–03, (iii) 2010, (iv) 2020, (v) 2030, (vi) 2040, (vii) 2050 and (viii) for other years for which estimates have been made, assuming that the value of the pension credit increases in line with earnings and that (A) pensioners' incomes from other sources rise in line with prices and (B) that pensioners' incomes from other sources rise in line with earnings.

Malcolm Wicks: Expenditure on income support/minimum income guarantee, housing benefit and council tax benefit for pensioners as a proportion of gross domestic product in 1997–98 and 2002–03 is shown in Table 1.
	
		Table 1: Expenditure on income support/minimum income guarantee, housing benefit for pensioners and council tax benefit for pensioners as a proportion of gross domestic product -- Percentage
		
			  Income support/minimum income guarantee Housing benefit Council tax benefit 
		
		
			 1997–98 0.45 0.45 0.15 
			 2002–03 0.40 0.45 0.15 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures rounded to the nearest 0.05 per cent.
	The latest projections of the full cost of pension credit (guarantee credit and savings credit) to 2050 are published on page 148, Annex 3 of the Pensions Green Paper 'Simplicity, security and choice: working and saving for retirement' (cm 5677). Based on a number of assumptions about the future, as set out in Annex 3, this shows that pension credit expenditure could rise to around one and a half per cent. of GDP by 2050.
	One of the assumptions used was that on average, income brought to account in the pension credit would increase in line with average earnings.
	The Pensioners' Incomes Series 2001–02, based on Family Resources Survey and Family Expenditure Survey data, shows that average pensioner incomes between 1979 and 1996–97 rose by 64 per cent. in real terms, compared to average earnings growth in the whole economy of 36 per cent. in real terms. More recent growth estimates are subject to uncertainty, but the growth in average pensioner incomes between 1994–95 and 2001–02 was around 23 per cent. in real terms, higher than average earnings (up 12 per cent. over the same period).
	Robust projections of future spending on pension credit, housing benefit for pensioners and council tax benefit for pensioners, based on alternative assumptions, and in different years, are not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However Table 2 provides a broad indication, of the likely relative costs in 2050 under alternative scenarios of pension credit uprating and pensioner income growth.
	
		Table 2: Expenditure in 2050 on pension credit, housing benefit for pensioners and council tax benefit for pensioners as a proportion of gross domestic product
		
			   Percentage 
			 Pension creditrises by Pensioner incomes rise by Pension credit Housing benefit Council tax benefit 
		
		
			  
			  
			 Earnings Prices 3.80 0.60 0.35 
			  Earnings 1.60 0.50 0.20 
			  
			 Prices Prices 0.30 0.55 0.15 
			  Earnings 0.10 0.25 0.05 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures rounded to the nearest 0.05 per cent.
	As explained, given the evidence of past pensioner income growth, the likelihood that those eligible for pension credit in the future will have higher state retirement pension income than previous cohorts, and the growth of non-pension income, such as earnings, this assumption is likely to be unrealistic.
	The long-term cost of pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit will also depend greatly on the decisions made by future governments in annual uprating statements. This Government are committed to increase the guarantee in line with average earnings for the remainder of this Parliament, ensuring that all pensioners share in rising national prosperity. Following the introduction of pension credit, the Government will be spending an additional £9.2 billion on pensioners in 2004–05 as a result of measures introduced since 1997.

Pensioners (Council Tax)

Jack Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners were in receipt of (a) full and (b) partial council tax benefit in Copeland (i) in 1996–97 and (ii) in the last financial year for which figures are available; what percentage of all pensioners in Copeland this represents in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Pond: The available information is in the table.
	
		Council tax benefit beneficiaries aged 60 and over in the North West Government Office Region: May 1997 and May 2002
		
			  Partial benefit Full benefit Total 
		
		
			  Number of beneficiaries 
			 May 1997 143,000 181,000 324,000 
			 May 2002 115,000 259,000 374,000 
			 
			  Beneficiaries as a percentage of people aged 60 and over in the NorthWest Government Office Region 
			 May 1997 10.1 12.8 22.9 
			 May 2002 8.1 18.2 26.2 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are based on a 1 per cent sample and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation.
	2. Valid figures from a 1 per cent. sample are not available by local authority as they would be subject to a high degree of sampling error.
	3. Caseload figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.
	4. Percentages have been rounded to one decimal place.
	5. Figures exclude any Second Adult Rebate cases.
	6. Beneficiaries are classed as claimants and/or partners aged 60 or over.
	Sources:
	1. Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System, 1 per cent. sample.
	2. ONS, Population Estimates Unit, Mid-1997 and 2002.

Pensions

Eric Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to amend the FRS17 account measure for company pension schemes; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Amendment of FRS17 is not a Government responsibility. It set by the independent Accounting Standards Board for the purpose of providing clarity of liabilities in company accounts. Its full implementation has been deferred awaiting the development of a revised International Accounting Standard, being developed by the independent International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). It is anticipated that the revised international standard will be agreed by 2004.

Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by which means pensioners who receive their pension by order book and have not replied to his Department's literature about direct payment by April 2005 will receive their payments.

Maria Eagle: 90 per cent. of pensioners already have an account suitable to receive Direct Payment.
	Key figures on the progress of conversion to Direct Payment are available in the Library and are updated every four weeks.
	We will be writing to the remaining pensioners over the next year. In addition we will be making further contact with those who have not responded.
	However, we have always recognised that there will be some people who are genuinely unable to operate any type of bank account. For those customers an exceptions method of payment will be available. It is likely that the exceptions method of payment will be a cheque based solution and will be available at Post Office branches.

Remploy

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many disabled people were employed by Remploy in each of the last four years.

Maria Eagle: Remploy directly supports disabled people through employment in one of its businesses, through placement with a third party employer, or by providing ongoing support to an employee of a mainstream employer to enable them to retain employment.
	The actual number of disabled people employed by Remploy is different to the number the company supports under WORKSTEP, as it includes a small number of disabled people who are not supported by the programme and excludes a number of people who are supported by Remploy under the WORKSTEP programme, but who are employed by a third party.
	
		
			  Disabled people employed by Remploy 
		
		
			 1999–2000 9,613 
			 2000–01 9,255 
			 2001–02 8,728 
			 1001–03 7,191 
		
	
	
		
			  Disabled people supported by Remploy through WORKSTEP Of which employed by third party 
		
		
			 1999–2000 10,262 672 
			 2000–01 10,423 1,196 
			 2001–02 10,523 1,839 
			 2002–03 9,543 2,411

Winter Fuel Payments

George Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of people who were newly entitled to the winter fuel payment in 2003–04 in (a) North Staffordshire, (b) Stoke-on-Trent and (c) the Stoke-on-Trent South constituency;
	(2)  how many people newly entitled to the winter fuel payment in 2003–04 claimed in (a) North Staffordshire, (b) Stoke-on-Trent and (c) Stoke-on-Trent South constituency.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is not available in the format requested. However, for the parliamentary constituencies of Stoke-on-Trent South, North and Central 3,911 winter fuel payment claim forms were issued to people who need to claim a payment for this winter. Of those 2,483 have submitted their claim forms.
	We are publicising the availability of winter fuel payments and how to obtain a claim form. Those who need to claim for this winter have until 30 March 2004 to do so.
	Note:
	Information to identify those likely to be entitled was extracted from the Departmental Central Index based on postcodes.

Winter Fuel Payments

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) the City of Edinburgh local authority area, (b) Edinburgh West, (c) Edinburgh Central, (d) Edinburgh North and Leith, (e) Edinburgh South, (f) Edinburgh Pentlands, (g) Edinburgh East and Musselburgh will be eligible for winter fuel payments in 2003–04; and how many of these will receive the payment automatically.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is not available in the format requested. However, such information as is available is set out in the following table:
	
		Winter fuel payments in Edinburgh 2002–03
		
			  All Males Females 
		
		
			  Parliamentary constituencies  
			 Edinburgh Central 11,815 4,630 7,190 
			 Edinburgh East and Musselburgh 15,745 6,570 9,175 
			 Edinburgh North and Leith 12,045 4,910 7,135 
			 Edinburgh Pentlands 14,560 6,080 8,480 
			 Edinburgh South 14,325 5,535 8,790 
			 Edinburgh West 17,760 7,510 10,250 
			 
			  Local authority  
			 City of Edinburgh 83,065 33,975 49,090 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest five.
	2. Figures taken from the Matching Intelligence Data Analysis Service Winter Fuel Payment 2002–03 exercise.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent sample.
	The number of people who would receive the winter fuel payment automatically in winter 2003–04 is expected to be similar to those in the table.

DEFENCE

Al Yamamah Programme

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department intends to introduce monitoring of sub-contractor performance in the Al Yamamah programme.

Adam Ingram: The Department has no contractual relationship with sub-contractors, whose performance is a matter for the Al Yamamah Programme prime contractor, BAE Systems, and has no plans to introduce monitoring of sub-contractors.

Asset Valuation

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has made to the Treasury concerning the valuation of assets in his Department.

Geoff Hoon: Officials have held regular discussions and meetings with HM Treasury regarding the Department's financial position, including on the issue of asset valuations.

Bechtel

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the contracts for consultancy and other work carried out by Bechtel for agencies responsible to his Department in each year since 1997, stating in each case (a) the nature of the work, (b) the value of the contract and (c) the duration of the contract; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: According to our records no contracts have been placed with Bechtel.

Chemical Ali

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on (a) the claim by UK armed forces to have killed the Iraqi known as Chemical Ali in Basra during the conflict earlier this year and (b) the recent claim by the US Administration to have captured Chemical Ali.

Adam Ingram: Ali Hassan al-Majeed—"Chemical Ali"—is in US custody.
	On 6 April there were indications that Ali Hassan al-Majeed had been in a building in Basra when it was destroyed by coalition aircraft. We said at the time that we believed that a body found was that of Ali Hassan al-Majeed but that we could not be certain until scientific tests had been performed to positively identify it. The tests subsequently proved that the body was not, in fact, his.

Chinook Helicopters

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what process the Mark 3 Chinook helicopter has undergone to ascertain its readiness for release to operational service;
	(2)  what the latest estimate is of the cost of the Mark 3 Chinook helicopter procurement project;
	(3)  when the budget for the Chinook Mark 3 Procurement project was authorised; and what the total cost forecast was at contract stage;
	(4)  what the differences between the Mark 2 Chinook helicopter, the Chinook 47-H and the Mark 3 Chinook helicopter are;
	(5)  what the differences between the Mark 2 Chinook helicopter, the Chinook 47-H and the Mark 3 Chinook helicopter are;
	(6)  how the validation process of the FADEC system fitted to the Mark 3 Chinook helicopter differs from the validation process used to validate the FADEC system fitted to the Mark 2 and Mark 2a Chinook helicopter;
	(7)  how many lines of software cope were written in programming the FADEC system fitted to the Chinook Mark 3 helicopter;
	(8)  what operational requirement the Mark 3 Chinook helicopter was designed to fulfil when the original order was placed in October 1995;
	(9)  what cost-benefit analysis was conducted prior to initiating procurement of the Mark 3 Chinook helicopter; and what the results were;
	(10)  what software language was used in writing the software for the FADEC fitted to the Mark 3 Chinook helicopter; and what sub-contractors have been used to conduct this work;
	(11)  which company was contracted to fit the FADEC system into the Mark 3 Chinook helicopter;
	(12)  what differences there are between the FADEC system fitted to the Mark 3 Chinook and the MH47 Chinook helicopter.

Adam Ingram: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Chinook Helicopters

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the release to service of the Mark 3 Chinook helicopters.

Adam Ingram: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Cluster Munitions

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) air-launched and (b) ground-launched cluster munitions his Department purchased from Israeli Military Industries in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: No air-launched cluster munitions are purchased from Israel. Ground-launched cluster munitions, which consist of Shell 155mm HE L20A1 Extended Range Bomblet Shell (ERBS), are purchased from Royal Ordnance Defence (ROD) as the prime contractor, who sub contract the manufacture of ERBS shell to Israeli Military Industries (IMI). The fuse is fitted by ROD Glascoed where the entire round is packaged.
	The following quantities of ERBS have been purchased in the last five years: 6,000 in financial year 2002–03, 20,100 in financial year 2003–04, with a further quantity of 3,009 being provided against an option on the contract.

Clyde Dockyards

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for defence pursuant to his answer of 20 October 2003, Official Report, columns 373–4W, on departmental staff, what the total number of civilian personnel working at the Clyde dockyards was at the time of transfer of management to the private sector; what the procedure was (a) leading up to the decision for the transfer to be undertaken and (b) from the time of the decision for the transfer to be undertaken to the handover to the private sector; what companies participated in the process; what commitments in relation to job maintenance in Scotland were (i) sought and (ii) given as part of the transfer; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Defence Budget (Scotland)

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of the defence budget was spent in Scotland in the most recent year for which figures are available (a) in actual terms and (b) as a percentage of the total defence budget; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The information is not held centrally in the form requested and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

HMS Colchester

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to name a Royal Navy fighting ship, HMS Colchester.

Adam Ingram: The new class of Royal Navy destroyers (the Type 45 or D Class) are to bear names beginning with the letter 'D', so Colchester cannot be a candidate for any of these. The same applies to the new Astute Class of submarine whose names all begin with the letter 'A'.
	The Ships Names and Badges Committee has the task of assessing all the possible names for new ships before making their recommendation through the First Sea Lord and Secretary of State for Defence for final approval by Her Majesty the Queen. I am sure that Colchester, of which there have been six ships previously with the name, whose last Battle Honour was at the Battle of Lowestoft in 1665, will be among the names considered for future suitable vessels.

Iraq

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) bridges, (b) sewerage pumping stations and (c) power stations have been reconstructed and repaired by United Kingdom forces operating in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: Responsibility for the repair of civil infrastructure lies with the Coalition Provisional Administration. Where possible, and within resource constraints, United Kingdom Forces will assist the Iraqi authorities in the reconstruction and repair of Iraqi infrastructure when requested to do so.
	UK Forces have supported Iraqi engineers in the repair of sewerage pumping stations and power stations but we do not hold central records of the numbers involved. We have no record of UK Forces having repaired or reconstructed bridges in Iraq.

Iraq

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) distance of (i) road and (ii) electricity transmission system has been repaired and (b) length of railway has been returned to service by United Kingdom forces operating in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: Responsibility for the repair of civil infrastructure lies with the Coalition Provisional Administration (CPA). Where possible, and within resource constraints, United Kingdom forces will assist the provisional Iraqi authorities in the reconstruction and repair of Iraqi infrastructure when requested to do so.
	We have no record of any repairs to the road network. UK forces have repaired approximately 50 kilometres of electricity transmission system. In addition, UK forces have carried out repairs to the rail network in the Um Qasr region of Iraq and supported Iraqi rail maintenance crews on a number of other occasions.

Iraq

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether all troops in the Gulf are fully equipped with desert clothing; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 3 July 2003
	The Ministry of Defence has previously acknowledged the difficulties faced during Operation Telic in determining the in-theatre rate of consumption of, and tracking of, desert clothing. However, I can confirm that sufficient personal equipment, including desert clothing, has been despatched to theatre to equip all deployed UK Servicemen and women.

Iraq

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what compensation will be paid to the estates of Iraqi civilians who died as a result of British military action in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: There are no plans to pay compensation to Iraqi civilians killed during combat operations in Iraq.
	The handling of claims made by Iraqis for losses which do not arise in connection with combat operations are governed by section 6 of the Coalition Provisional Authority Order Number 17. This provides that any such claims shall be submitted to and dealt with by the parent state of the person whose activities are alleged to have caused the loss. The claims will then be dealt with in a manner consistent with the national laws of that parent state.
	Where a claim against British troops arises from activity which would not give rise to a legal liability to pay compensation under English law, there may nevertheless be an ex gratia payment made to the injured person or to the family of the deceased where this would be in accordance with local custom or directed to meet a particular urgent humanitarian need.

Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the mechanisms in place for the sharing of information between the British and other coalition forces involved in operations in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence works closely with our partner nations to ensure effective sharing of information and intelligence including through the use of embedded officers within national command structures. Within the Multinational Division (South East), which is led by the United Kingdom, there is a combined Command and Control structure that includes all partner nations.

Iraq

Anne Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures are followed by UK personnel in Iraq before live ammunition is fired at civilians; and whether protocols have been agreed with US forces on procedures to be followed.

Adam Ingram: Use of lethal force by United Kingdom armed forces personnel in Iraq is governed by the extant Rules of Engagement for Operation Telic. It is not our practice to comment on Rules of Engagement and I am withholding information regarding their contents under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.
	We cannot comment on the Rules of Engagement used by other nations.

Military Colleges

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many students awarded service scholarships, undergraduate bursaries and cadetships, who were due to enter military colleges in the past five years, have withdrawn from the scheme; how many of those who have withdrawn repaid in full funds advanced to them prior to their withdrawal; whether the armed forces continue to pursue those who have not repaid sums received; and how much has been written off in each of the past five years.

Ivor Caplin: Those awarded university cadetships or bursaries are required, as a condition of the offer, to agree to refund the costs of the cadetship or bursary should they fail to complete five years (cadetships) or three years (bursaries) productive service (six years for Medical Cadetships and the RAF Flying Branch). Each case is considered on its merits, but it is the Department's normal practice to seek to recover its appropriate outlay when the specified return of service is not given, through a decision to leave the Service attributable to the individual. Salary payments are not recovered in respect of cadetships. Allowance is not made for time served except in respect of uniform costs. Recovery is not sought from those individuals whose service, or bursary, is terminated through no fault of their own (e.g. on medical grounds) and may be waived in whole or part on compassionate grounds or in other exceptional circumstances.
	The following table gives details of the number of withdrawals from Army and RAF scholarships, cadetships and bursaries.
	
		Withdrawal from scholarships, cadetships and bursaries
		
			  RN/RM* Army RAF 
		
		
			 1999–2000 11 57 Not available 
			 2000–01 11 77 58 
			 2001–02 24 69 58 
			 2002–03 17 55 32 
			 2003–04 17 34 21 
			 Total 80 292 169 
		
	
	The number of recoveries initiated:
	
		Recoveries initiated
		
			  Army RAF 
		
		
			 1999–2000 46 58 
			 2000–01 63 39 
			 2001–02 68 48 
			 2002–03 55 27 
			 2003–04 34 18 
			 Total 256 190 
		
	
	All award holder withdrawals (with the exception of the few who are excused repayment in accordance with the above policy) are pursued for full recovery, although some write-off actions have occurred and these are detailed as follows. The year in which write-off action is taken is not necessarily the year in which withdrawal occurred.
	
		Number of cases involving write-off action
		
			  Army RAF 
		
		
			 1999–2000 0 0 
			 2000–01 0 4 
			 2001–02 4 7 
			 2002–03 4 2 
			 2003–04 8 0 
			 Total 16 13 
		
	
	I will write to the hon. Member once similar figures regarding withdrawals from Royal Marines scholarships, cadetships and bursaries have been collated and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Operation Southern Focus

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the role of British forces in Operation Southern Focus.

Adam Ingram: United Kingdom forces were not involved in Operation Southern Focus.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what statutory investigatory powers the Department has; which ones will be superseded by use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000; and what plans he has for removing these legacy powers.

Ivor Caplin: In addition to the powers governed by the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, the Ministry of Defence Police have statutory investigatory powers under the MOD Police Act 1987 (as amended by the Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act 2001) and Service police investigatory powers are specified in the Army and Air Force Acts 1955 and the Naval Discipline Act 1957 (as amended by the various Armed Forces Acts).
	No existing statutory investigatory powers will be superseded by use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act. Existing statutory investigatory powers to compel production of information will not be used to compel disclosure of communications data under Part 1 Chapter 11 of RIPA and there are no plans to repeal those existing powers.

Reservists (Life Insurance)

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 27 October 2003, Official Report, columns 6–7W, on life insurance, what provisions were put in place to cover Reservists called up for service in the six months prior to 1 July.

Ivor Caplin: For many years, the Ministry of Defence has provided attributable death and injury benefits for Reservists under the War Pension Scheme and the Reserve Forces (Attributable Benefits Etc) Regulations. Commercial insurance has offered—and still offers—additional cover to those requiring it. The decision whether to take out such cover has always been a matter for the individual; MOD neither endorses nor sponsors commercial insurance schemes.
	Reservists called up for service in the six months prior to 1 July 2003 could, if they wished, have taken out life cover under RPAX, and at that time been covered for war risks on joining the scheme. Information about RPAX was then, and still is, promulgated, periodically, to individual Reservists and units. In addition, Reservists would have been briefed on its availability at their respective mobilisation centres.

Saudi Arabia

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2003, Official Report, column 428–29W, on Saudi Arabia, when his Department's Permanent Secretary raised the allegations against British Aerospace/BAE Systems and Robert Lee International with the Chairman of BAE Systems; how these allegations were raised; what type of claims have to be endorsed by staff of his Department's Director General of the Saudi Armed Forces Project; what the terms of the Al Yamamah contracts are in respect of the endorsement claims; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Department's Permanent Secretary raised the matter with the Chairman of BAE Systems in May 2001, in the context of the Government's firm anti-fraud policies.
	The Al Yamamah contracts provide for a set of accounting processes, jointly agreed between the UK and Saudi Arabian Governments, which cover the endorsement and recording of approved claims. The processes cover claims for goods and services supplied to Saudi Arabia under the Al Yamamah contracts. Staff of the Directorate General Saudi Armed Forces Project endorse the fact that such goods and services have been supplied to the agreed specification or standard and at the price set out in the Al Yamamah contracts. All claims are made in the name of the Prime Contractor, BAE Systems.

Ships (Sale and Disposal)

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) submarines and (b) surface ships are decommissioned and awaiting (i) sale and (ii) disposal.

Adam Ingram: Currently, one conventionally powered (diesel electric) Upholder Class submarine is undergoing refurbishment pending handover to Canada. Twelve nuclear-powered submarines have been decommissioned and will be disposed of in due course. In addition, one decommissioned surface ship (a Fleet Diving Tender) is awaiting sale and one (Fearless Class) is awaiting disposal.

Territorial Army

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Territorial Army personnel are on active service; and how many are expected to be on active service over the Christmas period.

Ivor Caplin: As at 1 September 2003, 4,160 members of the Territorial Army (TA) were mobilised, either on operations abroad, or in support of those operations in the United Kingdom.
	It is estimated that 1,600 members of the TA will be on active service over the Christmas period. This figure does not include those individuals who, although still compulsorily mobilised, have returned home from active service but not yet completed their post operational tour leave.

Territorial Army

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the role of the Territorial Army in Iraq.

Ivor Caplin: The Territorial Army (TA) undertake any and every task that is performed by their regular armed forces counterparts and are present throughout British Army units in Iraq. This is entirely in accordance with the Strategic Defence Review which set out a requirement for the TA to become a more integrated, relevant, useable force, better able to support their Regular counterparts on operations overseas.

Territorial Army

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect of the change in the number of annual training days in the Territorial Army on (a) morale, (b) retention and (c) recruitment;
	(2)  how the change in the number of annual Territorial Army training days will affect the pay of (a) privates and (b) majors in the TA.

Ivor Caplin: It has been assessed that the change in the numbers of annual training days in the Territorial Army being put in place will have no significant effect on morale, retention and recruitment.
	The change will not affect the pay of privates or majors in the Territorial Army, nor will it impact on the ability of members of the Territorial Army to earn their annual bounty payment.

Unexploded Ordnance

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the (a) quantity, (b) spread and (c) location of (i) mines, (ii) unexploded cluster bomb submunitions and (iii) unexploded conventional munitions in Iraq; what efforts are (A) planned and (B) underway to locate, defuse and remove these munitions; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The provision of a safe, secure and risk free environment for the Iraqi people is a key aspect of restoration activity for all members of the International Coalition in Iraq. The United Kingdom takes seriously its obligations as a member of that coalition to deal with unexploded ordnance. Unexploded ordnance in Iraq includes munitions from the Iran-Iraq war, mines laid by Iraqi forces, stores of ammunition and other ordnance left by Iraqi military and paramilitary forces as well as ordnance fired or dropped by both sides during recent hostilities.
	Since the end of major combat operations UK and other Coalition forces have been engaged in clearing sites containing unexploded ordnance. In the UK's area of responsibility an average of about 45 new sites have been discovered each week. Whenever a site is discovered UK forces mark the site and inform those in the vicinity. The munitions are then recovered or destroyed as soon as resources permit. To date around 1,600 sites have been cleared, containing about 619,000 munitions. We do not record individual types of munitions cleared.
	We are not in a position to comment on progress made in other areas of Iraq by our coalition partners.

Unexploded Ordnance

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the (a) quantity, (b) spread and (c) location of (i) mines, (ii) unexploded cluster bomb submunitions and (iii) unexploded conventional munitions in Afghanistan; what efforts are (A) planned and (B) underway to locate, defuse and remove these munitions; what countries are participating in these efforts; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Responsibility for the assessment and clearance of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Afghanistan rests with that nation's ruling authorities. The majority of the assessment and the clearance of UXO is conducted by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) and commercial demining companies, in many cases working under the auspices of the United Nations. At the end of 2002, independent assessment showed that some 263 square kilometres of land had been cleared of UXO.
	The Ministry of Defence carries out assessments of the quantity, spread and location of mines and UXO to ensure the force protection of our Service personnel or to counter any immediate threat to civilian life in Afghanistan. Military Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) capability is currently provided by Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Croatia as part of the International Stabilisation and Assistance Force (ISAF).

Wideawake Airport

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the running cost in 2003–04 is of the establishment at Wideawake airport, Ascension Island; and what the estimated budget for the next financial year is.

Ivor Caplin: Wideawake is a United States airfield and is jointly operated by the US Air Force and the RAF. Excluding the value of assets, the Department's net operating cost budget for RAF Ascension Island in Financial Year 2003–04 is £9,547,243. The equivalent figure presently planned for FY 2004–05 is £8,425,000.

PRIME MINISTER

House of Lords

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister if the Secretary of State will require the House of Lords Appointments Commission to publish in its Annual Report statistics relating to the participation of people's peers in votes, questions and debates.

Tony Blair: No.

House of Lords

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister how many and what proportion of the local and national organisations contracted by the House of Lords Appointments Commission to help identify suitable nominees for a people's peerage responded to the request by furnishing names; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: The House of Lords Appointments Commission did not collate this information.

House of Lords

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister how many applicants for a people's peerage since April 2001 were self-nominated.

Tony Blair: The Appointments Commission does not distinguish between nominations and self-nominations and, therefore, does not keep figures on the number of self-nominations received. All nominations are considered against the same criteria, regardless of whether they are nominated or self-nominated, and all nominees complete the same nomination form.

EU Summits

Keith Vaz: To ask the Prime Minister how many EU summits are scheduled for next year; and how many the Prime Minister plans to attend (a) in connection with and (b) unconnected with the Presidency.

Tony Blair: There are four European Council summits planned next year for Heads of State and Government, which I plan to attend. Two will be under the Irish Presidency and two under the Presidency of the Netherlands.

Heads of State (Television Footage)

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if he will set controls on the use of recorded footage of Her Majesty The Queen and foreign heads of state to prevent their use for political purposes by foreign heads of state and government.

Tony Blair: The media facilities for this State Visit will follow the same pattern as in previous Visits, including the recent State Visit of President Putin in June this year.
	It is not the role of the Government to instruct the media, both British and foreign, in the use of the material they obtain during their coverage of State Visits.

Iraq

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 27 October 2003, Official Report, column 50W, on Iraq, what steps he took to ascertain the nature of the delivery system to which the time of 45 minutes, mentioned in the Joint Intelligence Committee's assessment of 9 September, referred.

Tony Blair: This intelligence report did not significantly amend the long standing Joint Intelligence Committee assessment that Iraq had command and control and logistical arrangements in place for the use of weapons of mass destruction. This particular piece of intelligence added precision as to timing which had not previously been available but did not change the overall picture and therefore there was no reason to seek further information.
	As the Intelligence and Security Committee noted in their report on 9 September 2003 there was convincing intelligence that Iraq had active chemical, biological and nuclear programmes, the capability to produce chemical and biological weapons. All of this, irrespective of the means by which such weapons were to be delivered, was in breach of UN Security Council Resolutions.

Policy Advice

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the subjects on which he has asked the right hon. Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Mandelson) to undertake policy advice to ministers and other Government work since 1 January.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 11 September, Official Report, column 367W.

President Bush (State Visit)

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister what analysis of historical precedent was undertaken in deciding to invite President Bush to make a State Visit to the United Kingdom.

Tony Blair: Each State Visit is considered on an individual basis, underlining the relationship between the UK and the nation of the visiting Head of State. The UK and US have a deep and close relationship across a wide spectrum of issues.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Discrimination

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the Government's policy is on extending discrimination law to include the media.

Patricia Hewitt: Media organisations are covered by existing discrimination law in the same way as other employers and service providers. There are no plans to extend legislation specifically in relation to the media industry.

Arms Exports

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 6 October 2003, Official Report, column 1069W, for what reason her Department has not provided support to Interpol's international weapons and explosives tracking system.

Stephen Timms: The Department has no responsibility for tracking weapons or explosives.

British Energy

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made in the restructuring of British Energy; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, on 14 October 2003, Official Report, columns 10WS–12WS about the progress in the restructuring of British Energy. I also refer to the company's further related announcement on 31 October "Update on Proposed Restructuring", a copy of which I have placed in the Libraries of the House.

Call Centres

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will encourage large companies to keep their call centre bases in the United Kingdom.

Stephen Timms: Companies in the UK are operating in an increasingly competitive, global marketplace. It is a commercial matter for companies to decide where to locate their operations. In doing so companies will need to consider a number of factors including, inter alia, the strategic importance to the business of their call centre operations and the relative risks and benefits of transferring these overseas, the geographic distribution of their customer base and the need to be close to customers, location of their competitors, relative costs, and the ability to maintain service quality. The United Kingdom has by far the greatest number of call centre operations in Europe reflecting our expertise in call centre management and the wish by many companies to retain call centre bases here.
	A protectionist approach would run the risk of forcing companies to locate completely out of the UK which would not be to our long term economic benefit.
	We are, however, continuing to create a stable, competitive, economic environment in the UK for all companies to operate in. Our long term economic interest will be based on our ability to innovate to produce high value-added goods and services, supported by a highly skilled workforce, high calibre managers, forward looking unions and knowledgeable consumers.

Company Regulation (Cold Calling)

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to regulate companies which cold call customers.

Stephen Timms: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Huddersfield (Mr. Sheerman) on 10 November 2003, Official Report, column 22W.

Competitiveness Council

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the outcome was of the Competitiveness Council held on 10 and 11 November; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: I represented the UK at the Competitiveness Council, Brussels on 10 November 2003. Andy Kerr MSP was also present.
	There was an initial exchange of views over the proposed Directive on Unfair Commercial Practices.
	The Council reached General Agreement on the Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive. This is designed to guarantee free movement of electrical equipment within the Internal Market, whilst ensuring that such equipment does not create unacceptable levels of electromagnetic disturbance.
	The Council adopted a Resolution on the application of New Approach Directives.
	The Commission presented its new proposal for a Chemicals Regulation, stressing its importance for European industry. There were differing views of the impact on downstream users, and the Commission stated that it would like to discuss this, and the question of impact assessment at a public meeting on 23 November.
	The Presidency said that this was a priority issue in the Competitiveness Council agenda. There will be a policy debate at the next meeting on 26 and 27 November 2003. I asked for environmental and industrial interests to work together, and called for more effective prioritisation and simplification of the registration procedure, with one substance and one registration.
	There was a discussion on Competitiveness Policy. The Commission recognised the need for its proposals to take competitiveness aspects properly into account. The Council and European Parliament would be able to see improvements in the extended impact procedure in the 2004 work programme.
	I supported the idea of a competitiveness test and called for a better regulation 'expert' working group to be established as soon as possible to help assess the quality of impact assessments.
	The Presidency concluded that the Competitiveness Council needed to work with other Council formations to ensure they took competitiveness into account in their work.
	The Presidency asked for views on the Growth Initiative in the light of the October European Council's conclusions.
	Several of the projects are in the field of Research and Development. Key areas were nanotechnology, space and high speed networks for research bodies. I stated that I wanted to see clear criteria for projects based upon project readiness and EU added value. I also confirmed that UK preferences were close to those of the Commission.
	The Presidency concluded that the Council should agree a new list of priority projects on 27 November, for presentation to the December European Council.
	The Council agreed a Resolution on Researchers' Careers.
	There was a discussion over lunch on the EU candidate site for ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor).

Copyright Directive

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made with ensuring compliance with the EU Copyright Directive; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: The Copyright and Related Rights Regulations 2003 (SI 2003 No. 2498) bringing UK law into full compliance with the EU Copyright Directive came into force on 31 October 2003.

Debt Collection

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will take steps to prevent companies from using the same home visiting personnel both to sell loans and collect debts.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The practice of one agent both selling loans, and collecting the payments due, is extensively used in the doorstep lending sector. This practice has not been shown to be inconsistent with either fair dealing or responsible lending and there is some evidence that it is valued by many consumers. I therefore do not intend to take any action in this matter.

Debt Collection

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will place in the Library the responses received to the Office of Fair Trading consultation on debt collection.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 13 November 2003
	The responses received to the Office of Fair Trading consultation on debt collection, other than those where the respondent requested confidentiality, are available for viewing at:
	Office of Fair Trading
	Fleetbank House
	2–6 Salisbury Square
	London
	EC4Y 8JX

Debt Collection

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many licences have been (a) granted and (b) revoked by the Office of Fair Trading to (i) debt collectors and (ii) lenders, (A) since the Consumer Credit Act 1974 was introduced and (B) in each year since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 13 November 2003
	The information is not available in the form requested. Information on licence revocations is not broken down by market sector and is not available for the early years. Disaggregated information is available on the issue of Minded to Revoke Notices (MTRs). There is no licence category which precisely corresponds to "lenders". "Consumer Credit Business" is likely to be wider and "Finance Companies" narrower. The available information is set out as follows:
	
		Numbers of licences (a) granted and (b) revoked, to (i) debt collectors and (ii) lenders, (A) since 1974 and (B) each year since 1997
		
			  (i) Debt collectors-Category E (ii) Lenders-Category A ('Consumer Credit business') 
			  (a) Licences granted (b) MTRevokes issued (a) Licences granted covering Category A-i.e. 'Consumer Credit Business' (b) MTRevokes issued to Finance Companies 
		
		
			 A Cumulatively 1976-May 2003 (breakdown unavailable 1974–1976 and after May 2003) 102,876 Not available 205,352 Not available 
			 B Annually since 1997 
			 1997 8,176 20 10,778 12 
			 1998 11,215 8 13,480 4 
			 1999 10,723 24 12,644 9 
			 2000 9,247 10 11,214 4 
			 2001 8,586 3 10,223 4 
			 2002 9,140 1 10,962 8 
			 2003 (to end May) 3,996 0 4,797 7 
		
	
	Note:
	A single Licence can cover more than one type of business category
	
		
			  Total number of Licences revoked 
		
		
			 1997 34 
			 1998 15 
			 1999 25 
			 2000 31 
			 2001 21 
			 2002 26 
			 To 30 September 2003 10

Employers' Liability Insurance

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with the Department for Work and Pensions on the progress of the second stage report of its review of Employers' Liability Compulsory Insurance.

Nigel Griffiths: I have had four meetings with colleagues on the review of Employers' Liability Insurance, and we will continue to meet to ensure good
	progress on the second stage report.
	A statement was made to the House before Recess, on 22 May 2003, and a first stage report published on 3 June 2003, which is in the Library of the House. The second stage report will be published in the autumn.

Employment Regulations

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will lay before Parliament the final draft Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Business Regulations; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I hope to make an announcement on this matter in the near future.
	The new Regulations will take account of the needs of the private recruitment industry and the interests of those using the services provided.

Exports to Morocco

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reason strategic exports of (a) toxic chemical precursors and (b) technology for the production of toxins have been licensed for sale to Morocco.

Stephen Timms: Following careful consideration against the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria, these exports have been licensed for sale to Morocco as they are for the production of pharmaceuticals and toothpaste and will not be used for any strategic purposes.

Fireworks

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what methods the Government use to monitor the distribution, from ports of entry, of imported fireworks.

Des Browne: I have been asked to reply.
	There is no routine monitoring of the distribution of fireworks from the port of entry.
	The storage of fireworks is regulated by HSE in partnership with local authorities under the Explosives Act 1875. Anyone storing fireworks illegally will be liable to prosecution.
	HSE works with local authorities and Customs and Excise to verify whether firework importers have licensed storage facilities in Great Britain. The evidence from these checks is that the overwhelming majority of fireworks imports declared to Customs and Excise are being imported by firms with licensed storage available to them.

Industrial Development Act

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  how many jobs her Department forecast would be created under each scheme in each of the past six years under (a) section 7 and (b) section 8 of the Industrial Development Act 1982, and at what cost per job; how many people are still employed as a direct result of financial assistance in each scheme; and if she will make a statement on her Department's (i) financing and (ii) monitoring of jobs created under the Act;
	(2)  what the value was of (a) applications received and (b) offers accepted for financial assistance in each year since 1997 under (i) section 7 and (ii) section 8 of the Industrial Development Act 1982.

Jacqui Smith: The forecast of jobs expected to be created and safeguarded in England as a result of offers accepted under Section 7 (Regional Selective Assistance) and the average cost per job were:
	
		
			  Jobs Average cost per job (£) 
		
		
			 1997–98 39,167 4,287 
			 1998–99 27,838 4,606 
			 1999–2000 35,270 3,152 
			 2000–01 32,184 6,378 
			 2001–02(8) 16,714 4,723 
			 2002–03 19,856 5,426 
			 Total 171,029 4,673 
		
	
	(8) The reduction in jobs is the result of a transfer of smaller RSA cases (capital investment less than £500,000) to a separate Enterprise Grant scheme under Section 8, w.e.f. 1 January 2000).
	To date, 117,256 of these jobs have been achieved with approximately 65 per cent. of projects completed. The jobs achieved will increase as further projects are completed.
	It is not policy to continue monitoring firms once the conditions of an offer of grant have been met.
	Schemes under Section 8 are not primarily targeted on job creation and no forecasts have been made.
	Further details on the schemes operating under Sections 7 and 8 can be found in the Industrial Development Act Annual Report, published by The Stationery Office.

Internet Banking

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what work her Department is doing with banks to improve the security of internet banking.

Stephen Timms: Security of Internet Banking services is a matter for the individual banks concerned and falls within the overall regime for the conduct of banking operations which is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The Department promotes the security of business processes and transactions generally and is thus in regular contact with individual banks and the Association for Payment and Clearing Services (APACS). The banking sector has been an important contributor to the development of tScheme which is committed to improving trust in electronic commerce. TScheme was created in response to the Electronic Communications Act 2000.
	The financial sector, including internet banking, is one of the business sectors targeted as part of the UK's critical information infrastructure policy which is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary. I understand that there are regular contacts between the banking sector and the National Infrastructure Security Co-ordination Centre to develop and implement policy in this area.

Ministerial Visits

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the visits made by Ministers in her Department in each of the last five years, broken down by constituency.

Patricia Hewitt: These details are not held centrally and to provide the information would be only at disproportionate cost in terms of financial and physical resource.

Policyholders Protection Act 1975

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on reform of the Policyholders Protection Act 1975 resulting from the case of Aitken v. Financial Services Compensation Scheme Ltd., 30 May, SL7 OH Court of Session.

Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply.
	The courts have upheld the Financial Services Compensation Scheme decision in the case of Aitkin v. Financial Services Compensation Scheme. The Government see no reason to depart from our current policy as a result of the ruling.

Post Office

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the Post Office network income from clients for each year since 1997, broken down by main source.

Stephen Timms: The information requested is an operational matter for the Post Office. I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Post Office

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which (a) local authorities and (b) housing associations used the Post Office for the payment of (i) rent and (ii) insurance premiums for home contents policies in each year since 1997.

Stephen Timms: We do not collect the information requested, which is an operational matter for the Post Office, and I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Post Office Card Account

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which company operates the systems for the Post Office Card Account; and what safeguards have been put in place to ensure the adequate data protection of personal data of account holders where those data are transmitted outside the UK.

Stephen Timms: These are matters that fall within the day-to-day responsibility of Post Office Ltd. and I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Post Office Subsidy Scheme

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much of the Sub-Post Office Start-Up Capital Subsidy scheme has been spent to date, broken down by region.

Stephen Timms: I understand from Post Office Ltd, who administer the Scheme on my Department's behalf, that payments totalling £1,238,722.18 had been made to the end of September 2003, the latest date to which data is available. As at the same date, the total value of grants approved was £1,712,811.62. I also understand that details of grants approved and paid are not recorded by region but are available on a country basis and that payments totalling £151,401.98 had been made to sub post offices in Scotland as at the end of September 2003.

Post Offices (Closure)

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many urban post offices have been (a) proposed and (b) approved for closure since the inception of the network reinvention scheme in (i) West Chelmsford parliamentary constituency and (ii) mid-Essex.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 12 November 2003
	Proposals for post office closures and final decisions on them, following public consultation under the Code of Practice, are operational matters for Post Office Ltd. I am advised by Post Office Ltd that data on urban reinvention proposals and closures is not available in the form requested as the company does not require this data for operational reasons. However, I understand that since March 2000 the company has recorded details of post office closures, including those under the urban reinvention programme, which commenced in late 2002, on the basis of Government Region. In the East of England Region as a whole, there have been 43 closures under the urban reinvention programme to the end of September 2003, the latest quarter for which figures are currently available.

Working Time Directive

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her oral answer of 6 November, if she will negotiate the maintenance of the UK opt-out of the 48 hour limit under Article 18 of the Working Time Directive before 23 November.

Patricia Hewitt: The European Commission intends to issue an initial Communication on the Working Time opt-out, the definition of Working Time with regard to on-call time and the Working Time reference period, around the end of November. We are not expecting the Communication to contain any firm proposals. There will then follow a consultation period before the Commission produce formal proposals. The Government will fully engage in this process, and will seek to ensure that the outcome safeguards choice for individuals over the hours they work, whilst ensuring their employment rights are protected.

CABINET OFFICE

Duchy's Benevolent Fund

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list the organisations located within the boundaries of Pendle Borough Council that have received grants from the Duchy's Benevolent Fund since January 2000.

Douglas Alexander: I am not a Trustee of the Duchy of Lancaster Benevolent Fund. However, the Secretary of the Fund has provided the following information:
	
		Organisations located within boundaries of Pendle borough council that have received grants from the Duchy's Benevolent Fund since January 2000
		
			  Organisations 
		
		
			 2000 St Michaels and All Angels Church, Foulridge 
			  New Life Christian Centre, Colne 
			  Home Start, Pendle 
			  Pendle Girls Rugby League Club 
			  Nelson Youth and Community Centre 
			  Nelson Civic Junior Choir 
			   
			 2001 Hospice care for Burnley and Pendle 
			  Earby Mines Research Trust 
			  Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale CVS 
			  Pendle and Dist. MS Group 
			   
			 2002 Christ Church, Nelson 
			  Earby Coffee Stop 
			  New Road Comm. Centre, Earby 
			   
			 2003 Colourful Voices, Colrie 
			  Colne Open Door

Government Policy

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his role is (a) as the interface between the Labour Party and the Government and (b) in providing the Prime Minister with strategic thinking on the general direction of Government policy and the values underpinning it.

Douglas Alexander: My ministerial responsibilities are set out in the List of Ministerial Responsibilities (LMR), copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House. LMR is also available in electronic form and can be accessed at www.knowledgenetwork.gov.uk/elmr/minister.nsf.

Knowledge Network Project

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  if he will list, by subject, the statistics that have been collected for the first time at constituency level under the Knowledge Network project, stating in each case the date on which the first in the series was completed; if he will place a copy of the most recent of each set of statistics listed in the Library; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  which information held on the Knowledge Network computer system will not be available to (a) the public and (b) hon. Members; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what the cost has been to date of the new Knowledge Network system; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The Knowledge Network is a government-wide electronic communications tool promoting collaborative working both within and between departments as part of the modernisation and e-government initiatives. The Network does not collect statistics by subject at constituency level.
	Access to the Knowledge Network is restricted to Ministers and civil servants via the Government Secure Intranet. There is currently no access to the Knowledge Network other than for these groups. The UKonline website provides a range of government services and information to the public and is an easy entry point for people who want to search government information and find out about local services.
	Since its inception in 1999, the Knowledge Network project has cost £13.7 million to develop and manage. £10 million of this was from the Capital Modernisation Fund to improve information sharing across Government.

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act

Brian White: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what statutory investigatory powers the Department has; which ones will be superseded by use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000; and what plans he has for removing these legacy powers.

Douglas Alexander: My Department has no investigatory powers.

TREASURY

Business Costs

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the cost to business of the statistical inquiries of businesses carried out by the Office for National Statistics in 2002; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: holding answer 6 November 2003
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Malcolm Bruce, dated 17 November 2003
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question concerning the cost to business of the statistical inquiries of businesses carried out by the Office for National Statistics in 2002. I am replying in his absence. (136798)
	The overall compliance costs to business are controlled within limits agreed by Treasury Ministers and the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Each year ONS produces a Compliance Plan to help monitor and control the load on businesses of its statistical surveys. It also includes information on initiatives to minimise the form-filling load, such as the use of efficient and fair sampling procedures.
	Between 1994 and 1997 compliance costs showed a progressive decrease. However from 1998 onwards compliance costs have risen steadily, as a result of the need for high quality statistics to capture changes in the economy, such as the development of E-commerce and the increasingly important service sector.
	The latest compliance plan has calculated the compliance cost to business of ONS surveys in 2002 at £28.9 million at 2002 prices, which was within the agreed limit. The figure is the same as 1995 in real terms.

Heroin

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much heroin, and of what value, has been seized in (a) Tyne and Wear, (b) the North East and (c) the UK in each year since 1997.

John Healey: The Home Office has published data on controlled drugs seized in the UK by Customs and other law enforcement agencies in the annual Home Office Statistical Bulletin on Drugs Seizure and Offender Statistics 2000 and Home Office Findings 2002 (Seizures of drugs in the UK 2001). Figures for seizures in 2002, for the value of drugs seized in 2001, and for seizures in Tyne and Wear are not available. Copies are available in the Library of the House and on the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate's website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/hosb402.pdf.

Business Taxation

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the rate of change in the burden of business taxation in (a) the UK, (b) Japan, (c) the USA and (d) EU member states;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the burden of business taxation in (a) the UK and (b) the USA.

Dawn Primarolo: The OECD publishes figures on "taxes on corporate income" and "employers' social security contributions" in its annual Revenue Statistics publication, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.
	The Government are fully committed to a fair and modern UK tax system that recognises the realities of modern business. Since 1997, the Government have introduced a wide-ranging package of tax measures to make the UK an attractive place for business to locate, boost productivity and help small businesses.

Cancer Survival Rates

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research he has commissioned on cancer survival rates in the United Kingdom compared with other EU countries.

Ruth Kelly: holding answer 27 October 2003
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Jim Cunningham, dated 17 November 2003
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question concerning what research the Chancellor of the Exchequer has commissioned on cancer survival rates in the United Kingdom compared with other EU countries. I am replying in his absence. (133894)
	Comparable statistics on cancer survival in the UK and most other EU countries have been produced in three studies funded by the European Commission (the EUROCARE studies). Cancer registries in the UK, including staff from the National Registry at ONS, have been involved in these studies since they began in 1989.
	The results indicated that survival was generally highest in Sweden, the Netherlands, France and Switzerland, and lowest in Estonia, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. Survival in the UK and Denmark was lower than in other western European countries for common tumours such as those of lung, breast, stomach, large bowel, prostate and kidney. However, international differences in survival were not large for tumours amenable to cytotoxic therapy, such as testicular cancer and Hodgkin's disease.
	Government plans for funding cancer research were published in the NHS Cancer Plan in September 2000; copies of which are available in the Library. The Plan acknowledged that "survival rates for many of the major cancers lag behind the rest of Europe".

CAT Standard

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many CAT standard products have been (a) launched and (b) withdrawn in each year since the CAT mark was introduced.

Ruth Kelly: This data is not collected centrally.

CAT Standard

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the CAT standard endorsed products, broken down by category of product.

Ruth Kelly: There are CAT standards for equity, insurance and cash ISA products and there is a CAT standard for fixed and variable rate mortgages.

CAT Standard

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many credit card companies have (a) applied for and (b) been granted the CAT standard mark.

Ruth Kelly: The Government have not adopted a CAT standard for credit cards.

Consumer Debt

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the level of consumer debt; and what estimate he has made of the change in the number of companies offering (a) credit and (b) loans in the last three years.

Ruth Kelly: The Government's forthcoming pre-Budget report will include an assessment of developments in consumer debt. The Office of Fair Trading's Annual Report contains statistics on consumer credit licences granted and the Financial Services Authority's Annual Report contains statistics on lenders regulated by the FSA (available respectively at www.oft.gov.uk/News/Annual+report and www.fsa.gov.uk/pubs/annual).

Council Tax

Steve Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the average weekly amount of council tax, net of council tax benefit, paid by (a) all pensioner households and (b) pensioner households whose taxable income is below the income tax threshold.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Steve Webb, dated 17 November 2003
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking for the average weekly amount of council tax and net council tax benefit paid by all pensioners, and pensioners whose taxable income is below the income tax threshold. (137692)
	Estimates for council taxes are based on the analysis "The effects of taxes and benefits on household income 2001–02" produced by the ONS and published on the National Statistics website on October 21st 2003. The analysis can be obtained from the House of Commons Library or from the National Statistics website at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/taxesbenefits. It includes measures of income inequality for the United Kingdom as a whole based on data from the Expenditure and Food Survey. This is a sample survey covering about 7,500 households in the UK and sample sizes for pensioner households are only sufficient to give approximate estimates. The Family Resources Survey would have been an alternative source with a larger sample size, but the taxes and benefits analysis has been used for consistency with answers to other recent parliamentary questions.
	Pensioner households have been defined as those where the Household Reference Person is retired or unoccupied and aged 65 or more and male, or 60 years of age or more and female, and economically inactive.
	Detailed information on the definition of the Household Reference Person can be found in Appendix D of the document at the following address: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme social/Family Spending 2001–02 revised/Family Spending revised.pdf
	Estimates for 2001–02 are shown in the following table for all pensioner households (single and couples) in Great Britain and for those who did not pay income tax (i.e. their reported income tax was zero). Council tax is not paid in Northern Ireland. The survey does not record the income tax threshold of household members so the absence of recorded income tax has been used as the relevant measure. Net council tax is defined as gross council tax less benefits and discounts, where a household reports taking up a council tax benefit entitlement.
	
		Average weekly amount of Council Tax paid by (a) all single and couple pensioner households and (b) all single and couple pensioner households who did not report paying income tax(9) for 2001–02: Great Britain -- £ per week
		
			 Single and couple pensioner households Average net council tax Average council tax benefit Average gross council tax 
		
		
			 All single and couple pensioner households 10.90 2.80 13.60 
			 All single and couple pensioner households who did not report paying Income Tax 5.70 6.10 11.80 
		
	
	(9) Income Tax is net of tax relief at source on life assurance premiums

Council Tax

Edward Davey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much council tax was paid as a proportion of gross incomes for households in each income quintile group in each English region for the last year for which data are available.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Edward Davey, dated 17 November 2003
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking how much council tax was paid as a proportion of gross incomes for households in each income quintile group in each English region for the latest year for which data is available. I am replying in his absence. (138147)
	Estimates in the following table are produced from the Office for National Statistics' analysis "The effects of taxes and benefits on household income" produced by the ONS and published on the National Statistics website on October 21st 2003. The analysis can be obtained from the House of Commons Library or from the National Statistics website at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/taxesbenefits. It includes measures of income inequality for the United Kingdom as a whole based on data from the Expenditure and Food Survey. This is a sample survey covering about 7,500 households in the UK and sample sizes for each region are only sufficient to give approximate estimates. The Family Resources Survey would have been an alternative source with a larger sample size, but the taxes and benefits analysis has been used for consistency with answers to other recent parliamentary questions.
	The table shows, for 2001–02, the average net council tax paid for all households in each Government Office Region and for each income quintile group within each region where households are ranked by equivalised disposable income. Equivalisation is a standard methodology that takes into account the size and composition of households and adjusts their incomes to recognise differing demands on resources. The net council tax figures are gross council tax less reported council tax benefits and discounts. The table also shows the boundaries between equivalised disposable income quintiles, which have been calculated separately for households in each Government Office Region. For example, the 1st quintile boundary is the income level below which one fifth of those households are estimated to lie. The results are subject to a high degree of uncertainty due to increased sampling variability arising from small sample sizes, particularly for some regions.
	
		Net council tax paid by households within each Government Office Region by equivalised disposable income quintile, 2001–02: England
		
			  North East North West and Merseyside Yorkshire and the Humber 
			 Quintile Income boundary(10)(£) Net council tax (£) Net council tax as % of gross income Income boundary(10)(£) Net council tax (£) Net council tax as % of gross income Income boundary(10)(£) Net council tax (£) Net council tax as % of gross income 
		
		
			 Bottom  242 3.1  397 4.7  373 4.0 
			  8,838   9,805   9,941   
			 2nd  419 3.4  430 3.4  372 2.9 
			  12,551   13,187   13,353   
			 3rd  502 2.6  656 3.3  525 2.7 
			  17,838   17,667   17,646   
			 4th  707 2.3  755 2.7  647 2.4 
			  25,843   24,065   23,660   
			 Top  872 1.5  938 1.8  846 1.7 
			   
			 All households in region  548 2.2  635 2.6  553 2.3 
		
	
	(10) Boundary point between equivalised disposable income quintiles
	Source
	Office for National Statistics, based on the analysis 'The effects of taxes and benefits on household income'.
	
		Net council tax paid by households within each Government Office Region by equivalised disposable income quintile, 2001–02 (continued): England
		
			  East Midlands West Midlands Eastern 
			 Quintile Income boundary(11)(£) Net council tax (£) Net council tax as % of gross income Income boundary(11)(£) Net council tax (£) Net council tax as % of gross income Income boundary(11)(£) Net council tax (£) Net council tax as % of gross income 
		
		
			 Bottom  482 5.2  424 4.8  467 5.3 
			  10,265   9,829   10,977   
			 2nd  555 3.5  430 3.4  530 3.4 
			  14,708   13,721   16,010   
			 3rd  675 2.8  604 2.7  722 2.7 
			  19,597   17,811   22,095   
			 4th  724 2.3  777 2.3  779 2.1 
			  26,737   25,179   30,016   
			 Top  785 1.4  781 1.5  891 1.4 
			   
			 All households in region  644 2.4  603 2.3  678 2.2 
		
	
	(11) Boundary point between equivalised disposable income quintiles
	Source
	Office for National Statistics, based on the analysis 'The effects of taxes and benefits on household income'.
	
		Net council tax paid by households within each Government Office Region by equivalised disposable income quintile, 2001–02 (continued): England
		
			  London South East South West 
			 Quintile Income boundary(12)(£) Net council tax (£) Net council tax as % of gross income Income boundary(12)(£) Net council tax (£) Net council tax as % of gross income Income boundary(12)(£) Net council tax (£) Net council tax as % of gross income 
		
		
			 Bottom  443 4.6  477 4.8  474 5.4 
			  11,432   12,550   10,609   
			 2nd  567 3.1  637 3.3  565 3.8 
			  17,512   18,002   14,441   
			 3rd  746 2.2  748 2.5  683 3.0 
			  25,609   24,649   19,341   
			 4th  790 1.7  826 1.9  748 2.5 
			  37,913   35,184   26,281   
			 Top  886 1.0  986 1.3  890 1.5 
			   
			 All households in region  686 1.7  735 2.0  672 2.5 
		
	
	(12) Boundary point between equivalised disposable income quintiles
	Source
	Office for National Statistics, based on the analysis 'The effects of taxes and benefits on household income'.

Families (Taxation)

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the treatment for the purposes of (a) taxation and (b) tax credits of (i) families with two children of different ages and (ii) families with twins.

Dawn Primarolo: In any single tax year there are currently no differences in the treatment of families with two children of different ages and of families with twins for the purposes of taxation or tax credits.

Financial Literacy

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the Treasury's strategy for improving the level of financial literacy.

Ruth Kelly: Raising standards of financial literacy is an important part of the Government's wider strategy to reduce social and financial exclusion, and promote appropriate participation in the financial services industry, while tackling overindebtedness, and promote saving. Financially literate, confident, and independent consumers also spur firms to offer high quality, value for money products and services, and promotes effective competition.
	A number of departments and agencies are active in achieving our ambitions. For example, we are the first Government to introduce a framework for Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) that provides for personal finance education to be taught throughout Key Stages 1 to 4 of the school curriculum.
	We also work closely with the Financial Services Authority.
	In his 2002 Review of Medium and Long Term Saving Ron Sandier suggested that the FSA should lead and coordinate further work in this area. Partly in response to those proposals, the FSA announced on 20 October 2003 the membership of their Financial Capability Steering Group. This group will bring together government, consumer representatives, the industry, the media, and the regulator to develop and implement a national strategy for financial capability.
	The FSA has already delivered a great deal to help consumers and has fostered initiatives on financial literacy, working closely, for example, with the Personal Finance Education Group, which has undertaken valuable work on good practice I delivering personal finance teaching in schools. But the steering group announcement recognised that more needs to be done, to engage with and learn from the widest range of organisation.

Financial Services Authority

Eric Martlew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to make the equity release market subject to Financial Services Authority regulation.

Ruth Kelly: Mortgage based equity release schemes will be regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) with effect from 31 October 2004. On 11 November 2003, I published a consultation document seeking views on whether home reversion plans should come within the scope of FSA regulation. Copies of this consultation document are available in the Library.

Flooding

David Kidney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the scope for the application of economic instruments in promoting the development of flood defences.

Ruth Kelly: The 2001 Flood and Coastal Defence Funding Review recommended that the Government should consider the application of economic instruments as part of alternative funding streams for flood defence. We agree with the review's analysis and have therefore asked Defra to work up proposals as part of their Spending Review 2002 commitments. They have since consulted on a range of options, including a Floodplain Development Connection Charge to be levied on new developments in the floodplain. The work on this is still at a very early stage, and will be taken forward as part of Defra's new flood management strategy.

Graduate Income

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average wage for a new graduate was in each year since 1997 in (a) the North East and (b) the UK.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Stephen Hepburn, dated 17 November 2003
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the average wage for new graduates in the North East and the UK. I am replying in his absence. (137458)
	Table 1 overleaf gives estimates of the average gross weekly earnings of all working age graduates resident in the UK and the North East region who are full-time employees.
	Table 2 gives estimates of the average gross weekly earnings of graduates aged 25 and under resident in the UK who are full-time employees. Similar estimates for graduates aged 25 and under resident in the North East region are not reliable because the survey sample sizes available are too small.
	These estimates are from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) for the twelve month period ending August of each year from 1998 to 2003. Estimates for all new graduates, irrespective of age, cannot be produced as the LFS does not include a question about how long ago respondents graduated.
	
		Table 1Average gross weekly earnings of working age(13) graduates(14) who are full-time(15) employees  -- £
		
			 September to August UK North East 
		
		
			 1997–8 513 453 
			 1998–9 539 488 
			 1999–2000 555 484 
			 2000–1 582 497 
			 2001–2 605 534 
			 2002–3 625 552 
		
	
	(13) Men aged 16–64 and women aged 16–59
	(14) People whose highest qualification is degree level or above
	(15) The definition of full-time is based on respondents' self assessment
	Note
	These Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates have not been interim-adjusted to take account of the recent Census 2001 results.
	Source
	ONS—Labour Force Survey
	
		Table 2Average gross weekly earnings of graduates(16) aged 25 and under resident in the UK who are full-time(17) employees
		
			 September to August £ 
		
		
			 1997–8 285 
			 1998–9 314 
			 1999–0 319 
			 2000–1 341 
			 2001–2 356 
			 2002–3 350 
		
	
	(16) People whose highest qualification is degree level or above
	(17) The definition of full-time is based on respondents' self assessment
	Note
	These Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates have not been interim-adjusted to take account of the Census 2001 results
	Source
	ONS Labour Force Survey.

International Monetary Fund

John Barrett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to reform the workings of the International Monetary Fund in favour of lower income countries.

John Healey: The UK Government believe that International Monetary Fund (IMF) support to low-income countries should work within its areas of competence to help these countries achieve the macroeconomic stability and supporting policy measures crucial to poverty reduction and delivery of the Millennium Development Goals. The IMF's chief form of support to low-income countries is through the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility, which was created in 1999. This facility is designed to support country-led poverty reduction strategies, and the UK has been at the forefront of efforts to ensure that the IMF's work is based on these strategies.
	Discussions were held at the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank in Dubai in September where my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer chaired the International Monetary and Finance Committee meetings. The Committee noted that faster growth will be needed in low-income countries in order to reduce poverty, and that this would require stronger policies and institutions, better governance and increased and more effective aid.
	The Committee observed that the IMF should remain engaged with these countries in the long-term, encouraging it to undertake further initiatives to support higher sustained growth and poverty reduction, improved governance, and reduced vulnerability to shocks. The IMF will prepare a number of Board papers on these issues, and the Committee looks forward to a review of progress at its next meeting.
	The Committee also noted the need for increased and more effective aid, and for enhanced market access. The Committee urged the IMF to work with the World Bank on aid effectiveness, aid absorption, results-based measurement systems and financing mechanisms, including the International Finance Facility. Developing and emerging market countries are being consulted on this, and France will host an international conference in spring next year.
	In respect of representation of developing countries on the Boards of the IMF and World Bank, the Development Committee, meeting in Dubai, agreed to continue efforts to build the necessary political consensus on this issue, with a roadmap to be produced for the spring meetings. The International Monetary and Financial Committee welcomed measures under way and asked the IMF to examine these
	issues further.

Parliamentary Questions

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Treasury's policy regarding the content and extent of answers to written parliamentary questions, with particular reference to the Treasury's policy on the provision of lists, where lists are requested by a written parliamentary question;
	(2)  pursuant to the Financial Secretary to the Treasury's Answer of 30 October 2003, Official Report, column 310W, on the euro, if he will list (a) the meetings attended by ministers to campaign for a pro-European consensus, the ministers at these meetings and the dates of these events and (b) the events planned at which ministers will campaign for a pro-European consensus, the ministers who will attend these events, and the dates of these events.

Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Gentlemen to the answer I gave him on 30 October.
	Treasury Ministers seek to give accurate information to Parliament in reply to written questions, taking account of such factors as the level of detail sought by questioners and the availability of information.

Pension Incomes

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of an increase in the use of property to generate pension incomes on (a) the British economy, (b) Government expenditure and (c) the housing market.

Ruth Kelly: Box A3 in Annex A of PBR 2002 discusses the impact on the housing market and the wider economy of diversification out of equities into property.

Pensions and Financial Ombudsmen

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) Pensions Ombudsman and (b) Financial Ombudsman cases were considered in the last year for which figures are available; how many cases were (i) upheld and (ii) rejected; what the average time taken to consider a case was; and what the average cost per case was.

Ruth Kelly: The Pensions Ombudsman operates a two stage process. Stage 1 involves identifying which applications are to be accepted for investigation and redirecting those where the decision is not to investigate. Stage 2 involves an in-depth investigation.
	The Pensions Ombudsman's Office tell me that for the year ended 31 March 2003, they dealt with a total of 4363 cases. The table below shows a breakdown of all cases resolved during the period:
	
		
			 Outcome of cases Year ended 31 March 2003 
		
		
			 Stage 1 3,684 of which 98 per cent. of decisions were taken within four weeks. 
			 Stage 2 679 decisions made in the course of the year. 
		
	
	So far as the Pensions Ombudsman's formal determinations are concerned 23 per cent. resulted in a finding of the complaint being upheld; 34 per cent. of the complaint being not upheld and 43 per cent. of the investigations which were closed.
	The unit cost per case is divided by the expenditure of the office by the 679 Stage 2 completed investigations, the average cost per case is £2,160; and for Stage 1 completion the cost is £336. There is however an element of double counting involved in the last calculation: a case which went through Stage 1 at the beginning of the year and where the Stage 2 completion was before the end of the year will be counted as two cases in the calculation which produces the 336 figure.
	It is not possible to answer the query about average time taken to consider a case without incurring additional costs. However, the times taken to complete Stage 2 cases were:
	Cases taking in excess of 12 months 240 (35 per cent.)
	Cases taking between 6 and 12 months 255 (38 per cent.)
	Cases taking less than 6 months 184(27 per cent.)
	The Financial Ombudsman Service tell me that for the financial year ending 31 March 2003, the Financial Ombudsman Service received a total of 62,170 cases.
	The following table shows a breakdown of the outcome of all cases resolved during the period.
	
		Outcome of cases
		
			 Year ended 31 March 2003 Percentage 
		
		
			 Resolved by mediation or conciliation 40 
			 Resolved after investigation by an adjudicatorof which:13 mixed outcome (partial win/lose for both sides)18 in favour of the consumer69 in favour of the firm 49  
			 Resolved by final decision of an ombudsmanof which:15 mixed outcome (partial win/lose for both sides)35 in favour of the consumer50 in favour of the firm 11  
		
	
	The average time taken to resolve cases in the year ending 31 March 2003 was 135.8 days.
	The unit cost per case (calculated by dividing the total expenditure—less financing costs—by the number of cases closed) for the year ending 31 March 2003 was £518.

Quarterly Financial Reporting

Mark Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with representatives of (a) the European Union, (b) the Institute of Chartered Accountants and (c) business concerning the European Union's proposals for quarterly financial reporting; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: Officials from HM Treasury, together with colleagues from the FSA and the UK Permanent Representation to the European Union, have been involved in intensive discussions on the Transparency Directive with representatives from the European Institutions. Efforts have focused on achieving agreement on a final text that balances the objective of increasing market transparency with the need to reduce the burden and costs for businesses, in particular concerning the European Commission's proposal to introduce quarterly reporting for companies with shares on regulated EU markets.
	Officials have also been consulting on this Directive with businesses and their representatives and advisers since November 2002. These consultations have included regular roundtable meetings, which give participants an opportunity to make their concerns known, to get feedback on the process in Brussels, and to quiz officials involved in the process. Officials have also been holding smaller meetings with business representatives, including the Institute of Chartered Accountants, to provide an additional forum for consultation.

Tax and Benefit Reforms

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 10 July 2003, Official Report, column 928W, if he will provide a breakdown of the impact of his tax and benefit reforms on households with annual income of (a) £30,000, (b) £50,000, (c) £75,000 and (d) over £75,000.

Dawn Primarolo: The following table shows the average change in net household incomes as a result of all personal tax and benefit measures introduced since 1997, for households with annual gross incomes in the ranges specified in the question.
	
		
			 Household gross income Average change 2003–04 compared to 1997–98 (£) 
		
		
			 Up to £30,000 1,100 
			 Up to £50,000 950 
			 Up to £75,000 875 
			 All households 775

Tax Credits

John Barrett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 6 November 2003, Official Report, column 804W, on tax credits, 
	(1)  when he expects the Family Resources Survey 2003–04 will be available; and if he will place take-up estimates of (i) child tax credit and (ii) working tax credit, broken down by (A) parliamentary constituency and (B) local authority area, in the Library when the survey is available;
	(2)  whether it is possible to make estimates of take-up of (a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit by (i) parliamentary constituency and (ii) local authority area using 2002–03 figures.

Dawn Primarolo: In line with previous years, the Family Resources Survey (FRS) for 2003–04 is expected to be available by late 2004. The FRS sample size is not sufficient to allow the estimation of take-up rates for either child tax credit or working tax credit at the level of parliamentary constituency or local authority area.
	Official estimates of take-up of income related benefits or tax credits require data which identifies individuals who are entitled to the particular credit or benefit but who are observed as not taking up that entitlement. Such data for the child tax credit or the working tax credit will not be available from sources for 2002–03 as the tax credits were not introduced until April 2003.

Taxes (London)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent estimate he has made of taxes paid by (a) people and (b) organisations in London; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Simon Hughes, dated 17 November 2003
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question on taxes paid by people and organisations in London. (135161)
	The table below shows estimates of taxes on income, taxes on products, taxes on production and other taxes paid by individuals and businesses in London and in the UK in 1998. The London figures were produced by ONS for the estimation of sub-national government accounts on an experimental basis and were published in a news release on 31 October 2002. They were produced as part of a pilot study funded by the European Commission and there are no current plans to update this analysis. Separate information on taxes paid by individuals and businesses is not available.
	
		Estimate of taxes paid by individuals and businesses in 1998(18) -- £ million
		
			  Taxes on income Taxes on products Taxes on production Other current taxes Total taxes paid 
		
		
			 London 22,204 12,303 4,138 1,731 40,376 
			 United Kingdom 124,060 99,108 17,287 14,993 255,448 
		
	
	(18) Consistent with National Accounts Blue Book 2001.

Value Added Tax

Annette Brooke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the European Commission on a new reduced rate category of VAT for protective and safety equipment; and what the outcome was.

John Healey: The Directive covering reduced rates of VAT is currently under discussion by European Ministers, following a proposal from the Commission earlier this year. This proposal challenges a number of the UK's zero rates including those for children's clothing and several reliefs targeted at charities and disabled people. We have made clear in the negotiations that we will not agree to the removal of any of our zero or reduced rate VAT derogations.
	The Commission's approach to this review has significantly narrowed the scope to consider the introduction of new reduced rates. However, as well as defending our zero rates, the Government continue to press for our long standing commitments for reduced rates for repairs to listed places of worship and the purchase of energy-saving materials for do-it-yourself installation, and also for energy-efficient products.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Bechtel

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the contracts for consultancy and other work carried out by Bechtel in each year since 1997 by his Department's predecessors in areas relating to regional government, stating in each case (a) the nature of the work, (b) the value of the contract and (c) the duration of the contract; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: There have been no contracts awarded to Bechtel since 1997 by the predecessor Departments of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Billboards

David Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the regulations that apply to the display of billboards (a) in the open countryside and (b) on telegraph poles on public or private land without planning permission.

Keith Hill: The display of outdoor advertisements including billboards in the open countryside and on telegraph poles on public and private land is controlled by the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 1992. The express consent of the local planning authority is required before these advertisements may be lawfully displayed. The local planning authority must consider amenity and public safety issues. The consent of the owner of the land is also required. Local planning authorities have enforcement powers under sections 224 and 225 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 which they may use to remove, or require the removal of, advertisements displayed in contravention of the Regulations.

Business Planning Zones

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance he offers to local authorities on the establishment of (a) business planning zones and (b) business improvement districts, with particular reference to (i) Sunderland and (ii) Redcar and Cleveland.

Nick Raynsford: The information is as follows:
	Business Planning Zones
	Guidance for local planning authorities will be published for public consultation next year. Broad policy will be set out in draft PPS4: Planning for Economic Development, and more detailed guidance on how local planning authorities should establish such zones will be produced in due course.
	Business Improvement Districts
	Draft guidance on Business Improvement Districts is available on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website (www.odpm.gov.uk) Consultation on this guidance has recently completed and the final version will be published when the regulations relating to BIDs legislation are laid before the House in spring 2004.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is not aware of any specific issues in Sunderland or Redcar and Cleveland which would require more specific guidance on Business Planning Zones or Business Improvement Districts.

Cash Incentive Scheme Grants

Oona King: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many Cash Incentive Scheme grants were made by each local authority in London in 2002–03; and what the total value of these grants was for each local authority.

Nick Raynsford: The number of Cash Incentive Scheme grants made by those London borough's running schemes in 2002–03 and the total value of grants made are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Total number of grants Total expenditure (£000) 
		
		
			 Barnet 36 917 
			 Brent 31 305 
			 Camden 20 466 
			 Croydon 48 980 
			 Enfield 31 760 
			 Haringey 21 496 
			 Havering 9 6 
			 Hiilingdon 19 382 
			 Islington 9 255 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 17 343 
			 Lewisham 27 521 
			 Merton 9 205 
			 Tower Hamlets 56 755 
			 Waltham Forest 6 148 
			 Wandsworth 32 638 
			 Westminster 15 357

Central Government Funding (Havering)

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much money was allocated from central Government to the London Borough of Havering in (a) 1997, (b) 1999, (c) 2001 and (d) 2002.

Nick Raynsford: Tabled are the figures for Government grants paid to the London Borough of Havering in each financial year from 1996–97. Figures are not available for calendar years.
	
		Government grants paid to the London Borough of Havering(19) -- £ million
		
			  Revenue support grant Redistributed non-domestic rates Ring-fenced grants inside AEF(20) 
		
		
			 1996–97 62.032 53.914 6.256 
			 1997–98 64.408 50.432 5.823 
			 1998–99 69.215 52.563 7.261 
			 1999–2000 70.247 56.793 10.280 
			 2000–01 68.687 63.386 16.021 
			 2001–02 77.482 62.600 20.503 
			 2002–03 74.583 68.394 23.828 
			 2003–04 88.628 65.791 (21)22.686 
		
	
	(19) Figures are not directly comparable between years due to changes in function.
	(20) Aggregate External Finance.
	(21) Budgeted figure.

Council Tax

Andrew George: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost was of operating the local government council tax system in each of the last five years for which records are available, broken down by (a) administration, (b) valuation, (c) appeals, (d) council tax benefit administration and (e) other costs.

Nick Raynsford: Local authorities in England reported council tax collection costs and council tax benefit administration costs in the last five years are tabled below. Administration, valuation and appeals costs are not reported separately.
	
		£ million
		
			  Council tax collection costs Council tax benefit administration costs 
		
		
			 1999–2000 309.6 216.7 
			 2000–01 301.5 194.8 
			 2001–02 301.1 218.7 
			 2002–03(22) 319.1 204.5 
			 2003–04(22) (23)337.0 235.7 
		
	
	(22) Budgeted figures.
	(23) In 2003–04, council tax collection costs may include a small amount of NDR, rate (domestic and non-domestic) and community charge collection costs.
	Source:
	1999–2000 to 2001–02 Revenue Summary Returns. 2002–03 to 2003–04 Budget Estimate Returns.

Credit Unions

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what role credit unions play in alleviating poverty in communities; and what role they (a) have and (b) will have in the future as part of New Deal for Communities.

Yvette Cooper: Credit unions have an important role to play in tackling financial exclusion. By bridging the gap between mainstream financial services and those of limited means, credit unions make a real difference to the individuals and communities they serve.
	New Deal for Communities (NDC) Partnerships have a broad remit to tackle issues of crime, worklessness, education, health and housing in the physical environment in some of our most deprived neighbourhoods. A number of NDC Partnerships have already done work to develop credit unions or are covered by credit unions that already exist in their area—such as East Manchester NDC and Knowsley NDC—and Partnerships will continue to do this in future where it is relevant to the needs of the neighbourhood. For example, in the Brent area there are currently on-going discussions between Camden Credit Union and South Kilburn NDC on the subject of Camden Credit Union extending their common bond to the NDC area.

Disabled Facilities Grant

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average time has been between applying for a disabled facilities grant and (a) assessment of needs, (b) provision of finance and (c) the completion of buildings work, broken down by each local authority.

Keith Hill: Local authorities are required by statute to respond to a completed application for disabled facilities grant within six months. The Government do not collect information on the average waiting times for these grants.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, jointly with the Department of Health, has issued draft guidance to local authorities setting out best practice in delivering a first class housing adaptations service for disabled people. This includes target times for the complete delivery process including needs assessment, processing of the application and the completion of building works. These target times will depend on the complexity of, and priority attached to, individual cases but the guidance suggests that the maximum target time for the entire process should in any event be no more than 260 working days and only 80 working days in high priority cases. We are currently considering responses to this consultation and hope to issue final guidance to local housing and social service authorities early next year.

Elected Regional Assemblies

Philip Hammond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of whether the proposed referendums on elected regional assemblies give people living in the regions affected an opportunity for their regions to have similar powers to those of (a) the Scottish Parliament and (b) the Welsh Assembly.

Nick Raynsford: Elected assemblies will be given powers over key regional issues, such as jobs, planning, housing, transport, culture and economic development. The Regional Governance White Paper, "Your Region, Your Choice: Revitalising the English Regions", sets out the Government's proposals and takes into account the functions that are best dealt with at a national, regional or local level. As the proposals relate to the English regions, the powers of the Greater London Authority are also a relevant consideration.
	There are no plans to revisit the package as a matter of course, but there may be changes in the way some central Government functions are delivered. In developing policies, the Government will consider the opportunities offered by the creation of elected assemblies. For example, the Fire White Paper, "Our Fire and Rescue Service", announced that regional fire and rescue authorities will be established in those regions that choose to have elected assemblies.

Expenses and Allowances

Adrian Flook: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the advice given by the inland revenue on tax and national insurance issues in the guidance to local councils on the expenses and allowances payable to mayors and district councils.

Nick Raynsford: Guidance relating to local authority members' allowances was issued to all local authorities in July 2003. This contains guidance on the tax and national insurance treatment of expenses and allowances for all members of local authorities, including mayors.

Graffiti

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the extent of the problem of graffiti; and how much he estimates was (a) lost by businesses through dealing with the problem of graffiti and (b) spent by local authorities in dealing with graffiti in 2002–03.

Yvette Cooper: Local authorities budgeted to spend £456 million on street cleaning and litter in 2002–03. The detailed information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Local Environmental Quality Survey for England, prepared by Environmental Campaigns (ENCAMS) on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), indicates graffiti is not a major problem over the whole of the country, but those areas where it is a problem suffer particularly badly.

Homeless People

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what funding has been allocated to reduce the number of homeless people in the UK since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: A variety of investment streams contribute to tackling and resolving homelessness but these have wider housing and social objectives too, and it is not possible to identify specific homelessness elements within all of them.
	In March 2002, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister published "More than a Roof", a report into tackling homelessness, which identified the problems and the steps that were needed in order to tackle homelessness in England. The Homelessness Directorate was established in the previous Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR) in March 2002 and brought together the Rough Sleepers Unit, the Bed and Breakfast Unit and a new team to ensure effective implementation of new homelessness legislation and to assist local authorities (and voluntary agencies working with them) in the development of their strategies to tackle homelessness.
	The Homelessness Directorate invested £114.5 million in 2002–03 and has a £260 million budget over 2003–04 to 2005–06.
	Local authorities also receive funding for their homelessness responsibilities through the local government finance settlement. The funding is paid as general grant and it is for local authorities to decide on their spending priorities taking into account their statutory responsibilities and the wishes of their electorate.
	Between 1997–98 and 2001–02, the following net current expenditure on homelessness incurred within the General Fund Revenue Account:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 1997–98 123 
			 1998–99 150 
			 1999–2000 171 
			 2000–01 203 
			 2001–02 186 
		
	
	Much of this expenditure is on the provision of temporary accommodation for homeless households for which authorities claim housing benefit subsidy In relation to general capital investment for housing, the total budget for housing capital investment in 1997–98 was £1.7 billion and £4.3 billion for 2003–04. These budgets provide new affordable housing and improvements to existing housing, both of which can help to prevent and resolve homelessness.
	Future funding will complement increases in investment in affordable housing and the funding available from 1 April 2003 for services to help homeless people under the Supporting People programme. Provision for support relating to homelessness within the Supporting People budget totalled over £353 million this year—a fifth of the £1.8 billion grant for the 2003–04 programme. This expenditure would have previously come from a variety of programmes including housing benefit and Supported Housing Management Grant, but was not identified separately for homeless client groups within these programmes.

Housing

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will amend total cost indicators in the grant system for housing associations so that it is more profitable for them to build homes with three and four bedrooms.

Keith Hill: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 6 November 2003, Official Report, column 796W. The Housing Corporation's Total Cost Indictor (TCI) framework is designed to be cost neutral across all types of homes irrespective of size.

Housing

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment his Department has made of how to increase the construction by housing associations of (a) two, (b) three and (c) four bedroom homes in an economically viable way while meeting his Department's targets to increase the density of new housing developments.

Keith Hill: The Housing Corporation has recently announced its bidding round for social housing grant for 2004–05 and 2005–06. It has identified a number of ways of achieving better value for money through, for example, partnering arrangements. The detailed programme will reflect priorities identified in Regional Housing Strategies and the funding recommendations made by Regional Housing Boards. Bids from registered social landlords should reflect the local needs that they are aiming to meet.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister believes that it is possible to achieve net development densities of up to 50 dwellings per hectare with a mix of different types and sizes of housing. Registered social landlords are already providing homes at an average of about 48 dwellings per hectare.

Housing Stock

Stephen Byers: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what action he proposes to take to ensure that regional government offices monitor the activities of local authorities to ensure that they comply with the requirements laid down by the Government in relation to the disposal of council housing stock.

Keith Hill: The Government Office for the Regions already work with all local authorities on housing matters, including where the authority is considering a housing transfer. In addition the Office's Community Housing Task Force work with authorities to help them deliver housing transfers within the framework set out by Government.
	The Government Offices will continue to work with an authority post transfer on its strategic and statutory housing roles.

London Boroughs (Council Tax)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 29 October 2003, Official Report, columns 302–04W, on London boroughs (council tax), how much and what proportion of council tax was collected in the London boroughs in each year from April 1993 to April 1996.

Nick Raynsford: The following table shows the amount of council tax collected in each London borough and the City of London, irrespective of the financial year to which they relate, in each year from 1993–94 to 1996–97.
	
		Amounts of council tax collected(24)
		
			  1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 
		
		
			 Inner London 
			 City of London 0.960 1.255 1.331 1.417 
			 Camden 36.770 38.940 37.056 43.630 
			 Greenwich 29.507 27.851 29.234 36.751 
			 Hackney 18.279 18.444 20.781 23.071 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 24.866 26.463 30.740 35.882 
			 Islington 23.214 24.288 26.040 31.335 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 27.995 33.732 34.281 37.334 
			 Lambeth 26.532 34.831 31.512 31.924 
			 Lewisham 26.490 30.637 30.418 32.537 
			 Southwark 22.624 26.374 26.694 34.584 
			 Tower Hamlets 13.870 15.588 15.380 18.419 
			 Wandsworth 13.269 13.777 27.209 35.719 
			 Westminster 16.255 19.703 22.708 25.260 
			 Total Inner London 280.631 311.883 333.384 387.863 
			  
			 Outer London 
			 Barking and Dagenham 15.750 18.044 17.906 19.475 
			 Barnet 53.655 60.553 62.897 68.042 
			 Bexley 34.491 36.091 38.328 40.037 
			 Brent 34.785 30.199 27.083 27.051 
			 Bromley 51.307 52.726 55.687 60.924 
			 Croydon 47.509 52.063 56.216 57.745 
			 Ealing 43.256 40.727 42.784 45.009 
			 Enfield 42.630 46.643 44.005 46.958 
			 Haringey 30.843 32.875 33.226 35.330 
			 Harrow 35.137 37.151 (25)— 39.659 
			 Havering 36.414 36.550 39.055 42.674 
			 Hillingdon 37.479 41.379 41.846 43.968 
			 Hounslow 34.119 35.052 35.478 39.162 
			 Kingston upon Thames 24.433 27.118 28.585 30.454 
			 Merton 26.018 28.624 34.447 37.134 
			 Newham 20.025 21.304 19.112 20.040 
			 Redbridge 34.742 34.778 37.513 39.582 
			 Richmond upon Thames 32.595 41.291 47.754 51.112 
			 Sutton 29.333 31.906 33.569 35.534 
			 Waltham Forest 27.583 29.897 32.313 36.215 
			 Total Outer London 692.104 734.971 (25)— 816.105 
		
	
	(24) Amount of council tax due received by the end of the financial year as a percentage of the net collectable debit for the year.
	(25) n/a
	The following table shows the in-year council tax collection rates for each London borough and the City of London for each year from 1993–94 to 1996–97. The collection of council tax continues after the end of the financial year to which it relates. This means that the percentage of council tax ultimately collected for any financial year is greater than that shown in the table.
	
		In-year council tax collection rates(26)
		
			  1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 
		
		
			 Inner London 
			 City of London 97.7 96.3 99.0 98.1 
			 Camden 81.4 82.0 83.7 87.7 
			 Greenwich 84.3 86.9 89.4 91.4 
			 Hackney 67.5 75.5 78.8 79.4 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 86.1 85.7 87.4 87.6 
			 Islington 69.3 81.2 80.8 83.0 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 87.6 89.2 93.2 94.9 
			 Lambeth 48.4 56.4 71.8 78.6 
			 Lewisham 82.5 81.2 81.5 84.8 
			 Southwark 73.1 79.9 83.7 84.7 
			 Tower Hamlets 84.3 84.6 87.3 87.2 
			 Wandsworth 88.0 89.3 88.6 87.9 
			 Westminster 84.6 91.3 93.6 92.6 
			 Average Inner London 75.6 80.0 84.4 86.7 
			  
			 Outer London 
			 Barking and Dagenham 93.1 94.6 95.4 94.9 
			 Barnet 92.7 93.5 94.4 94.7 
			 Bexley 95.4 95.7 96.4 96.2 
			 Brent 84.4 85.8 87.0 87.6 
			 Bromley 97.0 96.9 97.4 97.2 
			 Croydon 94.3 92.8 93.4 92.1 
			 Ealing 86.9 90.4 92.9 94.3 
			 Enfield 86.2 88.5 90.8 91.8 
			 Haringey 74.0 81.9 81.4 84.7 
			 Harrow 94.4 (27)— (27)— 96.4 
			 Havering 95.0 95.8 96.5 96.7 
			 Hillingdon 92.9 93.8 93.9 94.3 
			 Hounslow 91.1 90.1 88.8 92.7 
			 Kingston upon Thames 97.5 98.2 97.3 97.1 
			 Merton 91.6 92.9 96.9 94.4 
			 Newham 73.4 72.8 76.9 81.0 
			 Redbridge 94.1 94.6 94.7 95.6 
			 Richmond upon Thames 95.2 95.4 96.4 97.0 
			 Sutton 97.5 97.9 98.3 98.0 
			 Waltham Forest 82.2 86.2 88.9 91.5 
			 Average Outer London 90.4 91.8 92.9 93.8 
			 Average Greater London 85.6 88.0 90.1 91.4 
		
	
	(26) Amount of council tax due received by the end of the financial year as a percentage of the net collectable debit for the year.
	(27) n/a

Regional Assemblies

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will include with the postal ballot for the proposed English regional assemblies explanatory memoranda setting out the expected costs and savings of the new structure.

Nick Raynsford: The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 prohibits publication of any material relating to a referendum during the 28 days prior to the poll by any Minister of the Crown, Government Department or local authority. Therefore, the postal ballot for the proposed English regional assemblies will not include any such material. However, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has launched an information campaign to ensure that relevant information about the role and composition of Elected Regional Assemblies is made easily available in each of the three northern regions where referendums may be held. This includes an estimate of the costs of running elected assemblies and the savings to other public bodies whose staff transfer to the assembly.

Regional Co-ordination Unit

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when the Regional Co-ordination Unit was established.

Yvette Cooper: The Regional Co-ordination Unit was set up in the summer of 2000 following the publication of the Performance and Innovation Unit Report, "Reaching Out—The Role Of Central Government At Regional And Local Level".

Regional Co-ordination Unit

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many research projects the Regional Co-ordination Unit (a) plans to commission in 2003–04 and (b) commissioned in 2002–03; and what the rationale for each project was.

Yvette Cooper: The Regional Co-ordination Unit (RCU) currently has no plans to commission any research in 2003–04.
	In 2002–03, the following research was commissioned:
	a study of staff appraisal to see if there are any subjective differences in the way appraisals are carried out on staff of different gender, ethnicity or disability; and
	a report into "Incorporating Regional Perspectives into Policy Making". This was commissioned jointly by the RCU and the Cabinet Office Strategy Unit to investigate ways in which central Departments and the Government Offices could better work together to develop policy.

Ward Boundaries (Devon)

Nick Harvey: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he plans to introduce orders giving effect to the Boundary Committee's recommendations for Devon County Council's ward boundaries.

Nick Raynsford: These are now matters for the independent Electoral Commission, to which the periodic electoral reviews functions of the former Local Government Commission for England and my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister were transferred by the Local Government Commission for England (Transfer of Functions) Order 2001 (S.I 2001/3962).

Wiltshire Fire Authority

Robert Key: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the members of the Wiltshire Fire Authority indicating (a) by whom each was nominated, (b) by whom each was appointed and (c) the political affiliation of each member.

Nick Raynsford: This information is not held centrally.

Work-related Stress

Vincent Cable: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many cases of work-related stress have been reported in his Department in each of the last three years; how much compensation has been paid to employees; how many work days have been lost due to work-related stress, and at what cost; what procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress, and at what cost; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was established following machinery of government changes in May 2002.
	For the period 2002–03, there have been eight cases of alleged work-related stress in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, amounting to 126 days absence. There have been no compensation claims for work-related stress.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has a Stress at Work policy in place, which is supported by practical guidance issued to staff on dealing with the issue. In addition, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has access to a counselling and support facility. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is committed to meeting the targets for reducing the number of days lost due to work-related injuries and ill health arising from the Government's Revitalising Health and Safety initiative. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has been in recent discussions with the Health and Safety Executive about the development of a new proactive stress prevention programme.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Paternal Contact

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what encouragement departments and agencies give to fathers in keeping in contact with their children after separation.

Margaret Hodge: The Government's approach to the issue of child contact is based on the principle in the Children Act 1989, that in all decisions and arrangements about child contact, the child's best interests must be paramount. Figures from recent studies and surveys indicate as follows:
	60 per cent. of non-resident parents agreed contact with the resident parent.
	77 per cent. of non-resident parents saw their children every day, or at least once a week, or at least once a month. (Office for National Statistics survey).
	47 per cent. of all non-resident fathers were having at least weekly contact, 68 per cent. at least monthly contact and only 3 per cent. had no contact at all, with their children. (Bradshaw, Stimson, Skinner and Williams—"Absent Fathers?" 1999).
	69 per cent. of formerly married parents reported on-going contact. Only 5 per cent. reported that there had never been any contact and 27 per cent. said contact had been interrupted or had ended. (McLean and Eekelaar—"The Parental Obligation: a study of parenthood across households" 1997).
	The Government believe that children generally benefit from the continued involvement of both parents in their lives following divorce or separation, with the interests of the child always being paramount. I am currently considering our response to the Report of the Children Act Sub-committee of the Advisory Board on Family Law "Making Contact Work" to see what further practical steps we can take to facilitate and support contact between children and their parents.
	Meanwhile, the Government have already taken the following initiatives:have published the Parenting Plan, designed to help parents make practical arrangements for their children following divorce or separation, and age-related information leaflets for children concerned;are supporting a publicity campaign to emphasise the benefits of safe contact for children and to encourage parents to resolve disputes constructively; have made available public funding for family mediation for the resolution of disputes over children. 250 services now have contracts to provide family mediation and in 2001/02 are expanding the provision of child contact facilities.

Special Educational Needs and Disability Act

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of (a) the effect of provisions of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 and (b) progressing schools in fulfilling their duty to draw up accessibility plans.

Charles Clarke: Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools will be reporting on these matters during 2004.

Child Protection Database

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received about the impact of data protection laws on his plans to introduce a database for child protection.

Margaret Hodge: My right hon. Friend has not received any direct representations about the impact of data protection laws on our plans to introduce a database for child protection.
	The Green Paper "Every Child Matters" sets out our proposals to protect children at risk within a framework of universal services, including the collection and sharing of information on children. The consultation period ends on 1 December.

Education Act

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  with which schools and local authorities he has discussed proposals to take advantage of the flexibility provisions of the Education Act 2002;
	(2)  how many inquiries he has received about use of the flexibility provisions of the Education Act 2002.

David Miliband: holding answer 10 November 2003
	I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough (Mr. Willis) on 12 May 2003, Official Report, column 52W; the hon. Member for Ashford (Mr. Green) on 6 October 2003, Official Report, column 1131W; the hon. Member for Altrincham and Sale, West (Mr. Brady) on 27 October 2003, Official Report, column 72W and the noble Baroness Sharp of Guildford, Official Report, House of Lords, 6 October 2003, c. WA3.

A-Levels

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of pupils from secondary school went on to take A-levels in (a) the North West region, (b) Merseyside, (c) St. Helens and (d) England in each year since 1997.

David Miliband: The precise information requested is not available. As the National Pupil Database is developed further, this type of analysis will be possible. As a proxy, the following tables show (i) the number of 17-year-old students who took at least one A level in (a) the North West region, (b) Merseyside, (c) St. Helens LEA and (d) England in schools and colleges for the years 1997–2003 and (ii) the number of 15-year-old pupils in secondary schools in (a) the North West region, (b) Merseyside, (c) St. Helens LEA and (d) England, two years before each of the years shown in (i).
	(i)
	
		
			   1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			  
			  
			 a North West 22,309 23,403 22,854 22,755 24,095 27,084 28,077 
			 b Merseyside 4,699 4,916 4,742 4,712 5,145 5,604 5,927 
			 c St. Helens LEA 759 823 777 803 867 882 1,022 
			 d England 192,418 198,225 196,743 193,913 203,121 219,455 228,454 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures for 2003 are provisional
	(ii)
	
		
			   1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 a North West 78,452 80,647 79,799 79,339 80,875 80,350 83,894 
			 b Merseyside 16,735 16,959 16,920 17,001 17,282 16,817 17,810 
			 c St. Helens LEA 2,210 2,193 2,200 2,256 2,195 2,088 2,237 
			 d England 578,197 594,035 586,766 575,210 580,972 580,393 603,318 
		
	
	Although the exact information required is not currently available, a rough approximation can be obtained by dividing the number of 17-year-old A level students by the number of 15-year-old pupils two years before. It should be noted however that this is not based on data which tracks the same pupils over time.
	The following figures approximately show the percentage of 15-year-old pupils who went on to take A levels at 17 in the North West region and in England.
	
		
			  1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 North West 28 29 29 29 30 34 33 
			 England 33 33 34 34 35 38 38 
		
	
	Similar figures for the Merseyside area and St. Helen's LEA are less accurate due to where students choose to pursue their further education studies.

Advertising/Marketing

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much money his Department spent on advertising and marketing in each month since 1997.

Charles Clarke: Information for expenditure per month for the period and areas specified could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Expenditure from the Department's central advertising and publicity budget is as follows:
	
		
			  £000 
		
		
			 1997–98 10,879 
			 1998–99 13,426 
			 1999–2000 9,902 
			 2000–01 14,595 
			 2001–02 11,688 
			 2002–03 14,089 
			 2003–04 (to date) 2,937 
		
	
	In addition to expenditure from this central budget, expenditure from budgets allocated to individual programmes will also include spend on publicity and marketing related activity. It is not possible, except at disproportionate cost, to separately identify all such expenditure. However, it is possible to identify separately expenditure on advertising, and this is as follows:
	
		
			  £000 
		
		
			 1997–98 9,992 
			 1998–99 15,673 
			 1999–2000 11,900 
			 2000–01 29,066 
			 2001–02 20,489 
			 2002–03 11,261 
			 2003–04 (to date) 11,210 
		
	
	Information on expenditure by agencies and non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally.

Domestic Violence

Debra Shipley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to increase support for the non-abusive parent in cases of domestic violence where children are involved.

Margaret Hodge: The Government have proposed a number of measures which will improve the support and protection available to the children and non-abusive partner of a violent parent. These were set out in our consultation paper "Safety and Justice: The Government's Proposals on Domestic Violence" and include:
	making sure that child contact arrangements in domestic violence cases guarantee the safety of all parties. We will be expanding the provision of supervised child contact centres and services. Where domestic violence (or other safety issues) features in contact cases it is vital that the families are referred to services that are able to meet their needs, especially on safety. Baroness Ashton of Upholland and I plan to announce successful applicants for funding from a joint Children's Fund/ Sure Start Investment Stream of £2.9 million for new supervised contact services. We expect new services to commence from the New Year;
	improving the support available to children and young people affected by domestic violence, both for the benefit of the children and young people themselves and to relieve pressures on their parents;
	providing help for victims of domestic violence as early as possible, and making sure that the civil and criminal law offer the maximum protection to all victims, children and adults, to prevent the violence recurring;
	providing advice and information to victims on how to get access to support services and legal protection;
	ensuring an effective police response when victims report domestic violence and ensuring that victims are not deterred by the way they will be treated at any stage of the judicial process;
	improving the sharing of information so that child and adult victims are better protected and supported;
	increasing the full range of accommodation options, including supporting people to stay in their own home. Children can particularly suffer by moving away from their friends, school, pets and other familiar surroundings;
	helping victims who have ended or left a violent relationship to rebuild their lives; and
	raising awareness about domestic violence among the general public and key professionals;
	The Government are currently considering the responses to these proposals.Our Green Paper Every Child Matters recognises that supporting parents and carers is a significant factor in our general strategy to improve children's lives. It sets out the Government's vision of better integrated services for all children that are focused around the needs of the child, to ensure no child falls through the net and all children get the support they need to fulfil their potential:
	integrating services for children and families within Children's Trusts. This will particularly benefit the families in which children are affected by domestic violence as they may have a range of physical, emotional and psychological needs and may often be in temporary accommodation or moving around;
	providing access to specialist services. Being a victim of, or witnessing, domestic violence can have a long-term negative impact on children's behaviour, health and educational outcomes. The Green Paper sets out how the Government will seek to ensure specialist provision is available so that all children achieve and are in good physical and mental health;
	strengthening child protection arrangements. The Green Paper sets out proposals for changes to arrangements for safeguarding children, which we hope will lead to a better response to the needs of vulnerable children including those affected by domestic violence;
	improving information sharing will ensure that difficulties are picked up earlier and acted upon in a coherent way. We are consulting on the best way to use information about families and parents in such cases to build a complete picture of the risks to the child;
	improving both universal and targeted support for parents. Such support will be appropriate and non-stigmatising. It will help parents in supporting their children and the universal support in particular will be a gateway to more specialist services, for example, support for families affected by domestic violence; and
	improving maternity services. 30 per cent. of domestic violence cases start during pregnancy and existing violence often escalates during it. Through the National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services the Government are piloting routine antenatal questioning for domestic violence by midwives.

Education Spending (North-west)

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much was spent on (a) primary education, (b) secondary education, (c) tertiary education and (d) further education in the north west in each year since 1992.

David Miliband: The information requested is contained in the following tables.
	
		Primary, secondary and further education expenditure in the north west since 1992
		
			  pre-Primary Primary pre-Primary & Primary Secondary 
		
		
			 1992–93 n/a n/a 1,144,841 1,153,066 
			 1993–94 n/a n/a 1,158,010 1,049,978 
			 1994–95 n/a n/a 1,202,426 1,089,653 
			 1995–96 n/a n/a 1,185,076 1,000,413 
			 1996–97 n/a n/a 1,213,943 1,018,336 
			 1997–98 n/a n/a 1,221,486 1,027,733 
			 1998–99 n/a n/a 1,321,152 1,089,898 
			 1999–2000 46,199 1,394,850 1,441,049 1,286,311 
			 2000–01 67,355 1,522,508 1,589,863 1,407,303 
			 2001–02 91,379 1,676,685 1,768,064 1,588,239 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. North West includes the following LEAs:
	Knowsley, Liverpool, St. Helens, Sefton, Wirral, Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, Cheshire, Halton, Warrington, Lancashire, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool and Cumbria.
	2. Net Current Expenditure includes expenditure within schools and also that incurred centrally by the LEA's.
	3. Cash term figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000.
	4. Expenditure was not distinguished between pre-primary and primary sectors until the inception of the Section 52 outturn statement in 1999–2000.
	5. Data is as reported by LEAs.
	6. Data is drawn from the DfES Section 52 outturn statements from 1999–2000 onwards and the ODPM's RO1 statement previously.
	
		Further education funding allocations to institutions in the north west since 1992
		
			  Further education 
		
		
			 1992–93 341,320,591 
			 1993–94 360,421,769 
			 1994–95 379,275,174 
			 1995–96 421,366,768 
			 1996–97 449,925,071 
			 1997–98 458,258,684 
			 1998–99 464,615,551 
			 1999–2000 475,546,775 
			 2000–01 500,439,180 
			 2001–02 530,460,995 
			 2002–03 552,474,473 
			 2003–04 568,368,735 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Tertiary Education funding is not reported separately from Further Education funding.
	2. 1992/93 funding allocation was from LEAs.
	3. 1993/94 was a 16 month allocation from 1 April 1993 to July 1994 (first year of funding from the FEFC).
	4. From 1 August 1994 funding was allocated from 1 August– 31 July.
	5. Cash terms data reported.

Fair Trade (Universities)

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action his Department has taken to promote fair trade accreditation at UK universities.

Alan Johnson: The Government are committed to encouraging responsible trade and encourages all organisations to consider whether their purchasing policies can be adjusted to benefit the poor in developing countries. Through the Department for International Development, the Government have provided £0.5million to support UK development awareness and education campaigns centred around Fairtrade over the past two years. Higher education institutions are however independent, autonomous bodies, entirely responsible for their own trading arrangements, and we cannot directly influence their trading choices.

Falling Rolls

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in England have falling rolls; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: In January 2003, out of a total of 17,861 maintained primary schools, there were 10,100 schools that showed a decrease in pupil numbers of at least one pupil compared to January 2002.
	Also in January 2003, out of a total of 3,436 maintained secondary schools, there were 1,017 schools that showed a decrease in pupil numbers of at least one pupil compared to January 2002.

Funding

Matthew Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many bodies receive some or all their funding from his Department; what funding was received by each body in each year since 1997; and who the chief executive is of each body.

Stephen Twigg: The information on funding of executive non departmental public bodies is published annually in the Departmental Report. Information on the chief executives is contained in the individual annual reports issued by each of the executive non departmental public bodies. Information on other bodies is not available, except at disproportionate cost.

Gifted Pupils

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what differences there are in the amounts that rural and urban areas received for gifted pupils; and what the reasons are for the differences.

David Miliband: The majority of dedicated funding for gifted and talented education is made available through Excellence in Cities, including Excellence Clusters and Aim Higher. These programmes are targeted at areas of greatest deprivation which are concentrated in urban areas although not exclusively so. Each area receives only a notional allocation for work on gifted and talented education. It is for the local partnership or cluster to decide how much to spend on this, relative to other dimensions of their programme.
	Local education authorities and schools can also use funding from other sources for gifted and talented education, and choose whether or not to take up a range of national resources available to them. These decisions are influenced by a variety of local priorities and needs.

GNVQs

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 27 October 2003, Official Report, columns 73–6W, on GNVQs, what the total percentage was of pupils achieving 5 A*-C grades at GCSE/GNVQ level was in each year since 1996; and if he will make a statement.

David Miliband: The percentage of pupils achieving 5+ A*-C grades at GCSE/GNVQ are as follows:
	
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 1995/96 44.5 
			 1996/97 45.1 
			 1997/98 46.3 
			 1998/99 47.9 
			 1999/2000 49.2 
			 2000/01 50.0 
			 2001/02 51.6 
			 2002/03 (Provisional) 52.6 
		
	
	This information can be found in Statistical First Releases and Statistical Volumes on the Department's Research and Statistics website, at http://www. dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway

Graduate Tax

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions he had with colleagues from other departments on variants of a graduate tax as alternatives to fund higher education.

Alan Johnson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had a number of discussions with colleagues across Government on all aspects of the proposals set out in the recent in the White Paper "The future of higher education" (Cm 5735).

Graduate Tax

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his letter of 11 April, on student funding, for what reasons it was stated that a graduate tax arrangement could not run alongside the existing student loan repayment scheme.

Alan Johnson: The circular referred to is a party political document. I will write to my hon. Friend separately.

Higher Education

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of students from (a) the North West Region, (b) Merseyside, (c) St. Helens and (d) England in higher education received (i) a grant and (ii) a student loan in each year since 1997.

Alan Johnson: The support arrangements under the mandatory awards scheme for eligible undergraduate students domiciled in England and Wales on courses which began before 1 September 1998 consisted of payment, usually in full, of their tuition fees, a grant towards their maintenance, depending on income, and a non-income assessed loan. New students in academic year 1998/99, with a few exceptions, were expected to contribute up to £1,000 a year towards the cost of their tuition depending on family income. In 1998/99, income-assessed grants on average only formed about a quarter of the support available and all students were entitled to a non income-assessed loan which comprised the remaining three-quarters of support available and which will be repayable on an income contingent basis. New entrants to higher education from 1999/2000, together with those who started in 1998/99, received support for living costs solely through loans which are partly income-assessed. Grants for living costs are no longer available except for some limited allowances, e.g. for students with dependants; students who require assistance with travel, books and equipment; lone parent students; students leaving care; students with dependant children who are eligible for school meals grants; and disabled students.
	National level data are published annually in the Department's Statistical First Releases (SFRs) (SFR 11/2003 for 2001/02). Data on grants are collected from the local education authorities (LEAs) to produce national estimates and the data collection exercise does not allow for the production of firm figures below this level, and therefore data by region and local education authority are not available. The percentage of English domiciled students receiving a grant is shown in the table.
	
		Academic years 1997/98 to 2001/02, England(28)
		
			  Percentage of students receiving a full or partial maintenance grant 
		
		
			 1997/98  
			 Student Support Scheme(29) Not applicable 
			 Mandatory awards(30) 72 
			 All students 72 
			   
			 1998/99  
			 Student Support Scheme(29),(31) 71 
			 Mandatory awards(30) 69 
			 All students 70 
			   
			 1999/2000  
			 Student Support Scheme(29),(32) 5 
			 Mandatory awards(30) 69 
			 All students 30 
			   
			 2000/01  
			 Student Support Scheme(29),(32) 7 
			 Mandatory awards(30) 65 
			 All students 14 
			   
			 2001/02  
			 Student Support Scheme(29),(32) 7 
			 Mandatory Awards(30) 64 
			 All students 9 
		
	
	(28) Awards made by local education authorities in England to students normally domiciled in their area.
	(29) Students who entered higher education from 1998/99.
	(30) Students who entered higher education up to 1997/98 and those who entered in 1998/99 to whom the existing arrangements still applied. These students are eligible for income assessed maintenance grants and non means tested loans repayable on a mortgage style, fixed term, basis.
	(31) Student Support Scheme students in 1998/99 received support for maintenance through income-assessed grants (comprising about a quarter of the support available) and non income assessed student loans (comprising about three-quarters of the support available) repayable on an income contingent basis.
	(32) Data on maintenance expenditure for student support scheme students from 1999/2000 relate to additional allowances/grants available to eligible students for extra help depending on their circumstances, e.g. students with disabilities, students with dependents, single parent students, those incurring certain travel costs, and those who have recently left care. Includes students who are eligible for allowances/grants but who may not receive the means tested grants following income assessment.
	Source:
	Form F503G survey of local education authorities on student support school meals grants; and disabled students.
	The percentage of students taking out a student loan is shown in the table.
	
		Academic years 1997/98 to 2001/02
		
			  Percentage of students receiving a loan(33) 
			  Income contingent loans (Student Support Scheme students)(34) Mortgage style loans (mandatory awards)(35) 
		
		
			 1997/98(36)   
			 UK Not applicable 64 
			
			 1998/99(36)   
			 UK 69 68 
			
			 1999/2000   
			 England(37) 75 65 
			 North West(37) 82 Not available 
			 Merseyside(37),(38) 81 Not available 
			
			 2000/01   
			 England(37) 80 67 
			 North West(37),(38) 85 Not available 
			 Merseyside(37),(39) 88 Not available 
			
			 2001/02   
			 England(37) 82 72 
			 North West(37),(38) 84 Not available 
			 Merseyside(37),(39) 88 Not available 
		
	
	(33) New student support arrangements were introduced from academic year 1998/99. New students in 1998/99 (apart from certain specified exceptions) received support for maintenance expenditure through means-tested grants (comprising about a quarter of the support available) and non income-assessed student loans (comprising about three-quarters of the support available). From 1999/2000, students who entered higher education after 1998/99 received support for maintenance expenditure through loans, of which approximately three-quarters of the value was non income-assessed. Loans made under these arrangements are repayable on an income contingent basis.
	(34) Excludes the fixed rate loans (£500) for eligible part-time students, introduced in September 2000.
	(35) Data on mandatory awards are available only at England level.
	(36) Data up to an including 1998/99 are not available below United Kingdom level.
	(37) Data at a level below England have been taken from available data and may include a small number of loans which have been authorised for payment but not paid: England data include only those loans actually paid.
	(38) The North West Government Office Region.
	(39) Merseyside includes Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St. Helens and Wirral local education authorities.
	Source:
	Student Loans Company.
	Information on the region or local education authority of domicile of applicants for student loans is not available prior to academic year 1999/2000; data on the domicile of students taking out fixed rate mortgage style loans (normally those who entered higher education before 1998/99) is not available because applications are made through their education institution. The number of students estimated to be eligible for loans is compiled from data provided by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (covering HEIs) and from separate surveys covering higher education students in further education colleges. These estimates do not allow for robust disaggregation to LEA level.

Higher Education

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students from (a) the North West Region, (b) Merseyside, (c) St. Helens and (d) England in higher education paid up-front fees in each year since 1997.

Alan Johnson: The student support arrangements up to, and including, academic year 1997/98 included the payment of tuition fees in full from public funds on behalf of eligible students domiciled in England and Wales. New student support arrangements came into effect at the start of academic year 1998/99 when new entrants to higher education were expected to contribute towards the cost of their tuition. The amount of the contribution depends on family income.
	The number of students in England in academic years 1998/99 to 2001/02 (latest year for which data are available) who have been assessed to make a partial or full contribution towards the cost of their tuition is shown in the table.
	
		Student Support Scheme Students number (thousand)(40),(41)
		
			 Academic year Full or partial contribution towards the cost of tuition from student/parents/spouse/partner(42) 
		
		
			 1998/99 125 
			 1999/2000 244 
			 2000/01 375 
			 2001/02 402 
		
	
	(40) Contributions towards the cost of tuition are assessed by local education authorities in England for students normally domiciled in their area and studying in the UK.
	(41) Data for academic year 1998/99 comprise the cohort of students who entered higher education in that year; data for 1999/2000 comprise the 1998/99 and 1999/2000 cohorts; data for 2000/01 comprise those who entered in 1998/99, 1999/2000 and 2000/01; and data for 2001/02 comprise those students still in study from 1998/99 onwards and new entrants from 2001/02.
	(42) Includes students who withdrew from their course before the fee due date (and therefore no fee payment was made by the local education authority). In 1998/99, includes estimation for students who, because they did not expect to receive a contribution towards the cost of their tuition from public funds, did not make an application to their local authority.
	Source:
	F503G survey of local education authorities.
	National level data are published annually in the Department's Statistical First Releases (SFRs) (SFR 11/2003 for 2001/02).
	Data are collected from the local education authorities (LEAs) to produce national estimates and the data collection exercise does not allow for the production of firm figures below this level, and therefore data by region and local education authority are not available.

Key Stage 2

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of children in (a) Wiltshire, (b) Dorset, (c) Devon and (d) Somerset gained level 4 and above at Key Stage 2 in (i) English and (ii) mathematics in each year since 1997.

David Miliband: The percentage of 11-year-olds in (a) Wiltshire, (b) Dorset, (c) Devon and (d) Somerset who gained level 4 and above at Key Stage 2 in (i) English and (ii) mathematics in each year since 1997 are as follows:
	
		
			 LEA 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 
		
		
			 English
			 Wiltshire 75 74 73 75 73 67 67 
			 Dorset 76 78 77 79 74 68 68 
			 Devon(43) 74 74 76 75 72 66 62 
			 Somerset 74 74 74 75 73 67 67 
			 England 75 75 75 75 71 65 63 
			 
			 Mathematics
			 Wiltshire 73 73 70 71 69 62 67 
			 Dorset 73 72 70 73 71 60 67 
			 Devon 74 73 71 72 70 60 62 
			 Somerset 72 72 69 70 70 58 63 
			 England 73 73 71 72 69 59 62 
		
	
	(43) For 1997, Devon LEA included schools in Torbay and Plymouth. Following the local Government reorganisation in 1998, Torbay and Plymouth schools are excluded from the Devon figures.
	Note:
	The 2003 information is based on provisional data.

Literacy

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the literacy level is in (a) the constituency of Romford and (b) other population centres in Essex.

David Miliband: The constituency of Romford falls within the London borough of Havering education authority. The Key Stage 2 English results for Havering are above average with 80 per cent. of pupils achieving the expected level for their age (level 4+) in 2003, an 11 percentage points increase since 1998, when the National Literacy Strategy was introduced. Nationally, 75 per cent. of pupils achieved level 4+ in English at Key Stage 2 in 2003, a rise of 10 percentage points since 1998.
	The 2003 Key Stage 2 results for Havering, compared with those for the London boroughs of Redbridge and Barking and Dagenham, and with the unitary authorities of Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock, and with Essex local education authority are set out in the table. The table shows the percentage of pupils who achieved the expected level for their age (level 4+) in the Key Stage 2 English tests since 1998 in these areas:
	
		
			  1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003(44) 
		
		
			 Havering 71 78 78 79 80 80 
			 Redbridge 70 72 77 77 78 77 
			 Barking and 60 65 72 72 69 70 
			 Dagenham   
			 Essex 65 71 76 75 76 77 
			 Southend-on-Sea 63 69 72 73 75 74 
			 Thurrock 55 60 65 68 68 66 
		
	
	(44) Provisional

Local Education Authorities

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he expects the 2002–03 contextual value added indicators to be distributed to local education authorities; and if he will place a copy in the Library.

David Miliband: The Department will share contextual value added information for secondary schools with individual LEAs before the end of this term. The analysis will be based on provisional data for 2003 results at Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4, and therefore subject to slight revision. The information is provided on a confidential basis in order to help authorities to review and evaluate the performance of their schools, and to challenge any underperformance.
	We have no plans to publish this analysis.

London Universities

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the drop-out rate for universities in London was by (a) percentage and (b) number in each year since 1997.

Alan Johnson: The available information on non continuation rates is contained in "Performance Indicators in Higher Education", published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The figures cover full-time first degree courses only, and show, for each individual HE institution in the UK, the numbers and proportion of entrants who failed to complete their course. Copies of the HEFCE publication are available for students starting courses in 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99 and 1999–00 in the House Library. The next edition, covering students starting courses in 2000–01, is scheduled for publication in autumn 2003.

NVQs

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many NVQs were completed in further education colleges in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03.

Alan Johnson: The National Information System for Vocational Qualifications (NISVQ) showed that 146,000 NVQs/SVQs of a total 315,000 NVQ/SVQs were achieved 1 in further education colleges/tertiary colleges in England in 2001/02. The equivalent figure for 2002/03 is not yet available.
	1 NISVQ collects information on full NVQ/SVQs awarded. It does not collect information on those qualifications which were completed but not achieved.

NVQs

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of NVQs were completed in further education colleges in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03.

Alan Johnson: The National Information System for Vocational Qualifications (NISVQ) showed that 46.4 per cent. of a total 315,000 NVQ/SVQs were achieved 1 in further education colleges/tertiary colleges in England in 2001/02. The equivalent figure for 2002/03 is not yet available.
	1 NISVQ collects information on full NVQ/SVQs awarded. It does not collect information on those qualifications which were completed but not achieved.

Performance and Assessment Reports

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he expects the 2002–03 Ofsted PANDA information to be distributed to schools; and if he will place a copy in the Library.

David Miliband: This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, David Bell, will write to my hon. friend and place a copy of his letter in the Library.

Performance-related Pay

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the costs for every local education authority's performance-related pay expenditure for 2004–05 will be funded in full by government grant, including the on-going costs arising from performance awards in earlier years.

David Miliband: The threshold performance payments made by schools are refunded in full by the Department, including for on-costs. In 2003–04 we are also contributing a further £205 million towards other performance-related payments to teachers, principally to help meet the costs of the upper pay scale. This will be sufficient to meet all schools' continuing commitments arising from the performance-related pay grant provided in 2002–03 and will support the costs of similar progress along the Upper Pay Scale for those teachers becoming eligible for performance points in September 2003.
	For 2004–05, the £205 million we have allocated this year will be uprated at least in line with the headline pay settlement. And if proper arrangements for point 3 of the upper pay scale can be settled with the stakeholders, additional resources will be allocated from September 2004.

Pupil Funding

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the standard deviation from the mean per pupil funding is across (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in 2003–04.

David Miliband: The information requested is contained in the following table:
	
		Per pupil funding for primary and secondary schools for the 2003–04 session -- £
		
			  Per pupil funding 
			  Mean Standard deviation 
		
		
			  
			  
			 Primary schools 2,660 642 
			 Secondary schools 3,269 556 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. LEA funding to schools as reported by LEAs.
	2. The data are taken from the 2003–04 Section 52 Budget table 2.
	3. Per pupil funding includes schools budget share, devolved standards fund and school standards grant.

School Funding

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average per pupil funding for (a) primary schools, (b) secondary schools and (c)  special schools was in each local education authority area for (i) 2002–03 and (ii) 2003–04.

David Miliband: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.

School Meals

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school students are eligible for free school meals in each English local education authority area.

David Miliband: The information requested has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

School Workforce Agreement

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much he has included in his 2004–05 Schools budget for the full implementation of the School Workforce Agreement.

David Miliband: On 29 October we announced a package of measures to deliver greater stability in school budgets for 2004–05. These measures provide headroom over the average cost pressures that schools face to help schools implement the National Agreement on workforce reform.
	In addition, much progress can also be made from schools managing their total resources—people and resources—in different ways. For example, in September 2004, a limit of 38 hours will be introduced on the amount of cover an individual teacher can be required to undertake. Although the majority of teachers will not be affected by this initial limit, it provides an opportunity for schools to examine the use of supply teachers for providing short-term cover, and developing the use of cover supervision by trained support staff.

Secondary Education (Somerset)

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils entered secondary education in Somerset in each of the last six years; and how many secondary school admission appeals there were in the Somerset local education authority in the same periods, broken down by (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful appeals.

David Miliband: The available information is shown in the table.
	
		Maintained secondary schools: appeals lodged by parents against non-admission of their children 1996/97 to 2001/02
		
			  Somerset local education authority 
			 Appeals heard  Appeals decided in parent's favour 
			  Number of admissions Number of appeals Number Percentage(45) Number Percentage(46) 
		
		
			  
			  
			 1996/97 6,163 115 88 76.5 43 48.9 
			 1997/98 6,333 186 157 84.4 90 57.3 
			 1998/99 6,466 160 122 76.3 60 49.2 
			 1999/2000 6,869 141 83 58.9 47 56.6 
			 2000/01 6,787 321 190 59.2 127 66.8 
			 2001/02 (47)7,700 361 236 65.4 153 64.8 
		
	
	(45) Number of appeals heard expressed as a percentage of number of appeals lodged.
	(46) Number of appeals decided in parent's favour expressed as a percentage of number of appeals heard.
	(47) Due to changes in the underlying data collection the number of admissions shown here is not directly comparable with those for earlier years. In previous years the number of admissions reflected the total number of pupils of the school's basic entry age who started school at the start of the academic year. In 2001/02 the coverage is extended to all new admissions to schools regardless of pupils' age. Rounded to nearest 100.
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census and Admission Appeals Survey

Secondary School Places

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils entered secondary education in the Leeds Local Education Authority over the last five years; and how many secondary school admission appeals there were in Leeds LEA over the same period, broken down between (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful appeals.

David Miliband: The available information is shown in the table.
	
		Maintained secondary schools: appeals lodged by parents against non-admission of their children, 1997/98 to 2001/02
		
			  Leeds Local Education Authority 
			Appeals heard Appeals decided in parent's favour 
			  Number of admissions Number of appeals lodged Number Percentage(48) Number Percentage(49) 
		
		
			 1997/98 8,375 1,186 664 56.0 337 50.8 
			 1998/99 8,375 1,707 996 58.3 457 45.9 
			 1999/2000 8,360 1,149 879 76.5 407 46.3 
			 2000/01 8,637 1,646 1,095 66.5 386 35.3 
			 2001/02 9,100(50) 1,585 981 61.9 394 40.2 
		
	
	(48) Number of appeals heard expressed as a percentage of number of appeals lodged.
	(49) Number of appeals decided in parent's favour expressed as a percentage of number of appeals heard.
	(50) Due to changes in the underlying data collection, the number of admissions shown here is not directly comparable with those for earlier years. In previous years, the number of admissions reflected the total number of pupils of the school's basic entry age who started school at the start of the academic year. In 2001/02, the coverage is extended to all new admissions to schools regardless of pupils' age. Rounded to nearest 100.
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census and Admission Appeals Survey.

Student Finance

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment has been made of the average indebtedness of students upon graduation in each of the last 10 years.

Alan Johnson: The table shows the average student loan debt at the point at which they entered repayment status for borrowers who became liable to repay their loans in financial years 1999–2000 to 2002–03. Data for earlier years are not available.
	
		Average student loan debt on entering year entered repayment status(51) -- £
		
			 Financial year enteredrepayment status(52) Mortgagestyle loans(53) Income contingent loans(54) Part-time loans(55) 
		
		
			 1999–2000 3,530 (56)— (56)— 
			 2000–01 4.090 2,300 (56)— 
			 2001–02 4,490 3,410 450 
			 2002–03 5,150 5,980 520 
		
	
	(51) Data rounded to nearest £10. Includes interest accrued up to the point of entering repayment status. Excludes any early voluntary repayments which may have been made before borrowers enter repayment status. Debt of borrowers with more than one loan type has been split between types.
	(52) Borrowers enter repayment status in the April following their graduation or otherwise leaving their course. Borrowers may have accounts in more than one cohort year of entering repayment.
	(53) Loans made to students who entered higher education up to 1997–98 or who entered in 1998–99 under existing arrangements. Includes loans repayable to the private sector following the sale of two trenches of student loans.
	(54) Loans, repayable on an income contingent basis, available to students who entered higher education from academic year 1998–99. These loans were subject to a repayment holiday until April 2000. Includes hardship loans.
	(55) Fixed-rate loans made to eligible part-time students, introduced in September 2000.
	(56) Not applicable.
	Source
	Student Loans Company
	The first cohort of students on a three-year degree course who entered higher education under the new student support arrangements became liable for repayment in April 2002. That, and earlier, cohorts includes a disproportionate number of students on shorter courses as well as those who have left higher education before completing their courses. Therefore the average level of debt will not be representative of the average debt experienced by those who complete their courses.
	Borrowers are liable to repay their loans from the April following graduation or otherwise leaving their course. Students who started their course from the 1998–99 academic year will repay income contingent loans. Loans for those who started their course before 1998–99 are repayable on a mortgage style basis.
	The Department does not have annual data for HE students' total debt on graduation (including bank loans, overdrafts, credit cards, and informal debts to family and friends). The Student income and Expenditure Survey (SIES), which collects this information is undertaken every three to four years. Findings from the last survey in 1998–99 showed that the average total anticipated debt of all full-time students graduating in 1998–99 was £3,462. The Department has conducted a SIES for the 2002–03 academic year which will be published shortly.

Student Loans

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average student loan for a student from (a) the North West region, (b) Merseyside, (c) St. Helens and (d) England was in each year since 1997.

Alan Johnson: Information on the region or Local Education Authority of domicile of applicants for student loans is not available prior to academic year 1999/2000; data on the domicile of students taking out fixed rate mortgage style loans (normally those who entered higher education before 1998/99) is not available because applications are made through their education institution.
	The available information on students taking out income contingent loans is shown in the table:
	
		Average income-contingent loan(57) taken out by domicile of student—academic years 1999/2000, 2000/01 and 2001/02 -- Average income contingent student loan(57) taken out,(58),(59)(£)
		
			  Academic year 
			 Domicile(60) 1999/2000 2000/01 2001/02 
		
		
			 North West(61),(62) 3,130 3,090 3,130 
			 Merseyside(62),(63) 3,110 3,060 3,100 
			 St. Helens(62) 3,030 3,000 3,040 
			 England 3,180 3,160 3,190 
		
	
	(57) New student support arrangements were introduced from academic year 1998/99. From 1999/2000 students who entered higher education after 1998/99 received support for maintenance expenditure through loans, of which approximately three quarters of the value was non income-assessed. Loans made under these arrangements are repayable on an income contingent basis. The ratio of support for mandatory award holders, i.e. those who entered higher education up to 1997/98, was roughly 50 per cent. means-tested grant and 50 per cent. non means-tested loan repayable on a mortgage style basis.
	(58) Figures have been rounded to the nearest £10.
	(59) Excludes the fixed rate loan (£500) for eligible part-time students, introduced in September 2000.
	(60) From academic year 1999/2000, student support students apply to their Local Education Authority for assessment of their eligibility for student support, including student loans, irrespective of their place of study. Mandatory award holders, i.e. those eligible for mortgage style loans, continue to make applications for student loans through their education institution.
	(61) The North West Government Office Region.
	(62) Data at a level below England have been taken from available data and may include a small number of loans which have been authorised for payment but not paid: England data are only those loans actually paid.
	(63) Merseyside includes Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St. Helens and Wirral Local Education Authorities.
	Source
	Student Loans Company
	
		Average mortgage style loan(64) taken out(£)(65)
		
			  Academic year 
			 Domicile(66) 1999/2000 2000/01 2001/02 
		
		
			 England 1,470 1,460 1,520 
		
	
	(64) New student support arrangements were introduced from academic year 1998/99. From 1999/2000 students who entered higher education after 1998/99 received support for maintenance expenditure through loans, of which approximately three quarters of the value was non income-assessed. Loans made under these arrangements are repayable on an income contingent basis. The ratio of support for mandatory award holders, i.e. those who entered higher education up to 1997/98, was roughly 50 per cent. means-tested grant and 50 per cent. non means-tested loan repayable on a mortgage style basis.
	(65) Figures have been rounded to the nearest £10
	(66) From academic year 1999/2000, student support students apply to their Local Education Authority for assessment of their eligibility for student support, including student loans, irrespective of their place of study. Mandatory award holders, i.e. those eligible for mortgage style loans, continue to make applications for student loans through their education institution.
	Source
	Student Loans Company

Student Loans

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average size of (a) grants, (b) student loans and (c) the debt acquired to enable students to finance higher education has been in each year since 1997.

Alan Johnson: The support arrangements under the mandatory awards scheme for eligible undergraduate students domiciled in England and Wales on courses which began before 1 September 1998 consisted of payment, usually in full, of their tuition fees, a grant towards their maintenance, depending on income, and a non-income assessed loan. New students in academic year 1998/99, with a few exceptions, were expected to contribute up to £1,000 a year towards the cost of their tuition depending on family income. In 1998/99, income-assessed grants on average only formed about a quarter of the support available and all students were entitled to a non income-assessed loan which comprised the remaining three quarters of support available and which will be repayable on an income contingent basis. New entrants to higher education from 1999/2000, together with those who started in 1998/99, received support for living costs solely through loans which are partly income-assessed. Grants for living costs are no longer available except for some limited allowances, e.g. for students with dependants; students who require assistance with travel, books and equipment; lone parent students; students leaving care; students with dependant children who are eligible for school meals grants; and disabled students.
	The overall maintenance grant and student loan is shown in the table.
	
		Academic years 1997/98 to 2001/02 -- England and Wales
		
			  Average maintenance per award holder (£) England and Wales (67) Average loan (£)(67),(68) 
		
		
			 1997/98   
			 Student Support Scheme(69) n/a n/a 
			 Mandatory Awards(70) 1,210 1,530(74) 
			 All students 1,210 1,530(74) 
			 1998/99   
			 Student Support Scheme(69),(71) 690 2,580(74) 
			 Mandatory Awards(70) 1,190 1,520(74) 
			 All students 1,030 1,870(74) 
			 1999/2000   
			 Student Support Scheme(69),(72),(73) 120 3,180 
			 Mandatory Awards(70) 1,150 1,470 
			 All students 510 2,590 
			 2000/01   
			 Student Support Scheme(69),(72),(73) 140 3,160 
			 Mandatory Awards(70) 1,130 1,460 
			 All students 270 2,960 
			 2001/02   
			 Student Support Scheme(69),(72),(73) 170 3,190 
			 Mandatory Awards(70) 1,250 1,520 
			 All students 200 3,150 
		
	
	(67) Rounded to the nearest £10.
	(68) Averages relate to the amount of loan taken out in that academic year; excludes hardship loans and the fixed rate (£500) loans for part-time students.
	(69) Students who entered higher education from 1998/99. These students are eligible for student loans repayable on an income contingent basis.
	(70) Students who entered higher education up to those who entered in 1998/99 to whom the existing arrangements still1997/98 and applied. These students are eligible for non means-tested loans repayable on a mortgage style, fixed term, basis.
	(71) New students in 1998/99 received support for maintenance through income-assessed grants(comprising about a quarter of the support available) and non income-assessed student loans (comprising about three quarters of the support available).
	(72) From 1999/2000, students who entered higher education from 1998/99 onwards received support for maintenance through loans, of which approximately three quarters of the value was non income-assessed.
	(73) Data on maintenance expenditure for student support scheme students from 1999/2000 relates to additional allowances/grants available to eligible students for extra help depending on their circumstances, e.g. students with disabilities, students with dependents, single parent students, those incurring certain travel costs, and those who have recently left care.
	(74) Data are for UK.
	n/a = not applicable
	Source:
	Form F503G survey of local education authorities on student support and Student Loans Company
	The Department does not collect annual data for HE students' total debt on graduation (including bank loans, overdrafts, credit cards, and informal debts to family and friends). The Student Income and Expenditure Survey (SIES), which collects this information is undertaken every three to four years. Findings from the last survey in 1998/99 showed that the average total anticipated debt of all full-time students graduating in 1998/99 was £3,462. The Department has conducted a SIES for the 2002/03 academic year which will be published shortly.

Student Loans

Ann Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what targets (a) his Department and (b) the Student Loans Company have for delivering loan payments; and what assessment he has made of whether these targets have been met.

Alan Johnson: We set performance targets for the Student Loans Company each year. The latest figures on performance against targets are for 2001–02. The 2001–02 targets for delivering mortgage style and income contingent loan payments to students were that the Company should pay 100 per cent. of loan payments within 17 days of receiving an actionable application form. For mortgage style loans, 99 per cent. payments were made within that timescale; for income contingent loans, 98.5 per cent. payments were made within the timescale. Figures showing performance against targets for 2002–03 will be available shortly.

Student Loans

Ann Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) new students and (b) continuing students received their loans within (i) two weeks, (ii) one to two months, (iii) two to three months and (iv) four to five months of sending their applications for academic year 2003–04.

Alan Johnson: The information is not available in the requested format. All students who applied by the published deadlines with the correct information have now been paid.

Student Loans

Ann Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what provisions are in place to support students awaiting loan payments.

Alan Johnson: The Hardship/Access to Learning Fund is made available to institutions with HE students to provide discretionary financial help for both full and part-time undergraduate and postgraduate students. Students can receive an emergency short-term loan from the Fund, where their first loan payment has been delayed beyond the start of term.

Sure Start

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to extend Sure Start's Business Success for Childcare programme to more areas of England, with particular reference to Bassetlaw.

Margaret Hodge: The Business Success for Childcare Programme delivers free business support training to childcare providers through a series of workshops supported by workbooks.
	There are no workshops currently scheduled in the Bassetlaw area. However, 16 workshops have taken place or are due to take place nearby in Mansfield and Nottingham. In addition, the training materials developed for the Programme can be easily accessed via our website www.surestart.gov.uk/support4business.

Sustainable Development

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure that the Department's bid to the forthcoming Government Spending Round contributes toward the UK's objectives on sustainable development.

Charles Clarke: The Department for Education and Skills has direct responsibility for one of Government's key sustainable development priorities, and influences seven others, set out in the UK Strategy for Sustainable Development. I launched the Sustainable Development Action Plan for Education and Skills on 23 September 2003. This plan commits this department to work with our partner organisations and other Government departments to ensure that sustainable development is an integral part of education and skills development of this country and its economy. We are working with HM Treasury in the context of the 2004 Spending Review to ensure that sustainable development remains at the heart of the development and renewal of the strategic priorities for this department. We are working closely with colleagues in Defra to ensure the impact of our policies can be measured through the new sustainable development indicators currently being developed as part of the review of the UK Sustainable Development Strategy.

Teacher Recruitment

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much was spent on the fast track teacher recruitment scheme in each year since the scheme's inception, broken down by category of activity.

David Miliband: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 8 September 2003, Official Report, column 144W.

Teacher Recruitment

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much his Department spent on measures to aid teacher recruitment in each year since 1997–98, broken down by programme.

David Miliband: Many of the Government's policies in education and other areas have contributed to the 25,000 more teachers employed in England since 1997 and the record numbers of trainees now beginning courses of initial teacher training.
	Most dedicated programmes intended to increase the numbers of new recruits to teaching in England are administered on the Government's behalf by the Teacher Training Agency. Details of expenditure on these for years up to and including 2002–03 are contained in the Agency's audited accounts, which have been placed in the Library.

Teachers (Qualifications)

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what subject qualifications a teacher requires to teach (a) mathematics, (b) English and (c) science at (i) Key Stage I, (ii) Key Stage II, (iii) Key Stage III, (iv) Key Stage IV and (v) AS/A2 level.

David Miliband: The deployment of teachers and other school staff is a matter for the professional judgment of headteachers.

Teachers (Qualifications)

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many lessons in (a) mathematics, (b) science and (c) English were identified in the 2003 Curriculum and Staffing Survey as being taught by teachers without a subject-specific qualification in the subject being taught.

David Miliband: In the November 2002 Secondary School Curriculum and Staffing Survey, 13 per cent. of mathematics; 8 per cent. of combined/general science; and 11 per cent. of English periods were taught to year groups 7 to 13 by full time teachers without a post A-level qualification in the subject being taught. The data underpinning these percentages are still undergoing thorough validation. Estimates of the total number of periods taught by full time teachers to year groups 7 to 13 by subject will be published in the statistical volume "School Workforce in England (2003 edition)".

Teachers (Qualifications)

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he has taken to ensure that teachers without formal qualifications in (a) mathematics, (b) science and (c) English receive professional development to teach these subjects.

David Miliband: Through the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies, the Government are already offering comprehensive support and training for the teaching of English and maths in primary schools. The Key Stage 3 Strategy provides similar support for subject knowledge and professional development for teachers teaching English, maths and science in secondary schools.

Teachers (Qualifications)

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of additional (a) mathematics, (b) science and (c) English teachers that would need to be recruited if all lessons at Key Stage III and Key Stage IV were to be taught by teachers with a formal qualification in the appropriate subject.

David Miliband: My right hon. Friend has made no such estimate. However, the financial incentives and new routes to Qualified Teacher Status that the Government has created are bringing specialists in these subjects into teaching in record numbers. Figures published by the Teacher Training Agency on 10 November showed that, in the last five years, the number of recruits to conventional undergraduate and postgraduate courses of initial teacher training and the employment-based Graduate Teacher Programme has risen in mathematics by 91 per cent, in English by 33 per cent, and in science by 40 per cent. In these subjects alone, there have been almost 2,700 more recruits to training so far this year than in 1998–99.
	In addition to these huge gains, the widely welcomed remodelling of the school workforce that the Government and its partners are tak'ng forward will enable all subject specialists to use their knowledge to the maximum benefit of learners in the classroom.

Teachers (Qualifications)

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many newly qualified teachers who registered on the database of teacher records in each of the last three years for which figures are available had degrees in psychology.

David Miliband: The table shows the number of teachers who qualified in England in each of the calendar years shown with psychology as a subject of their first degree.
	
		
			 Calendar year Psychology as a subject of first degree(75) 
		
		
			 2000 720 
			 2001 850 
			 2002(76) 870 
		
	
	(75) Includes those with psychology as either a first or second subject of first degree, excluding those whose first degree is their initial teacher training degree.
	(76) Data for 2002 are provisional. The number of completers in this year may be undercounted.
	Source:
	Database of Teacher Records

Top-up Fees

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action he (a) has taken and (b) proposes to take to meet concerns expressed by hon. Members about the proposed implementation of variable top-up fees.

Alan Johnson: We published our response to the Education and Skills Select Committee's report on the Higher Education White Paper on 28 July. We also published on that date our response to the consultation on the Higher Education White Paper. In addition, I have had a number of meetings with hon. Members about our higher education policy, and will continue to do so.

Top-up Fees

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what arrangements will apply if top-up fees are introduced for the allocation of resources for student bursaries in situations where two or more higher education institutions make joint arrangements to facilitate access to their courses.

Alan Johnson: Universities will be able to make joint arrangements for bursaries—we already encourage collaboration between institutions in order to widen participation through programmes such as Aimhigher.

Tuition Fees

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research he has collated on the impact of variable fees on social access to university medical places in (a) the United States, (b) Canada and (c) Australia.

Alan Johnson: We are aware of research on the impact of variable fees on social access to a range of university courses in Australia and Canada. I have placed copies of a number of pieces of research in the House Library.
	With regard to access to medical places in this country under the proposed variable fees system, we do not anticipate that there will be any significant effect on applications to medical courses. Applications to medical schools in the UK have gone up since 1988, as have the total number of students studying medical courses. However, Department of Health Ministers have made it clear that they will, if necessary, take measures to ensure that any increase in the level of tuition fees will not have an adverse impact on the supply, retention, diversity or quality of students undertaking medical training.

Tuition Fees

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimates his Department has made of the demand for places on medical courses if students are charged the maximum tuition fee per year.

Alan Johnson: We do not anticipate any significant impact on demand for medical courses after the introduction of variable fees. The Department of Health will, however, be monitoring demand for, and take-up of, medical courses. Department of Health Ministers have made it clear that they will, if necessary, take measures to ensure that any increase in the level of tuition fees will not have an adverse impact on the supply, retention, diversity or quality of students on health professional courses, including medicine.
	Since the introduction of tuition fees in 1998, demand for places on medical courses has continued to outstrip significantly the number of places, despite an increase in the number of places available. Between 1999 and 2001, plans for some 2,250 more medical school places in the UK were announced. As a result of the extra investment, the number of students entering medical school will increase to over 7,300 in 2005. The number of UK applicants to study medicine at UK universities is also at its highest since 1986 (the earliest year for which data are available).
	As I said on 6 November in response to an earlier question from my hon. Friend, I have placed in the House Library copies of a number of pieces of international research on the impact on social access to a range of university courses.

Tuition Fees

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many of the responses to the Higher Education White Paper (a) were supportive (b) had reservations about and (c) were opposed to variable fees.

Alan Johnson: I refer my hon. Friend to the Government's response to the consultation on the Higher Education White Paper that was placed on the website of the Department for Education and Skills on 28 July 2003. An electronic copy of all the responses was also placed in the House Library.

Tuition Fees

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will place in the Library copies of the evidence collated from overseas on the impact of variable tuition fees on social access to medical courses.

Alan Johnson: I have placed in the House Library copies of a number of documents containing evidence from Canada and Australia on the impact of variable fees on social access to a range of university courses.
	I will also place in the House Library a copy of a piece of research from New Zealand which also contains evidence on this matter.

Tuition Fees

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the cost to a student of financing up-front payment of a £3,000 student tuition fee over the anticipated period of repayment.

Alan Johnson: The Government has proposed that students who choose to defer payment of their tuition fees until after they have graduated will repay their fee loans at zero real rate of interest. A graduate will, therefore, repay the same amount, in real terms, as he or she borrowed initially.

Tuition Fees

Keith Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of tuition fees he intends that each university should pay out in bursaries to students from low-income families; and what definition of a low-income family he will use for this purpose.

Alan Johnson: We are considering and discussing the contents of access agreements and the duties of the Office for Fair Access, and will make a statement in due course.

Tuition Fees

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 12 November 2003, Official Report, columns 354–5W, on tuition fees, if he will give the column reference and name of the honourable Member who put the question he answered on 6 November in respect of international research on social access and higher education.

Alan Johnson: The answer to question 137214 was intended to refer to question number 137213, tabled by the hon. Member himself for answer on 6 November. Due to an administrative error PQ 137213 had not been answered by the time the reply to 137214 was tabled. The information referred to has been placed in the Libraries.

University Applicants

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what options he has examined for assessing (a) the standard of university applicants and (b) their suitability for different types of university courses;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the use of psychometric testing in the university admissions procedure.

Alan Johnson: Admissions are a matter for universities. Professor Steven Schwartz, Vice Chancellor of Brunel University is currently leading an independent review of the options which English institutions should consider in assessing the merits of applicants for their courses. His review will help universities to draw on best practice and the latest research. We expect that the review will provide a statement of high level principles that we hope all universities will adopt.

University Courses (Vacancies)

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many places on courses offered by universities were not filled in each academic year since 1997, broken down by course;
	(2)  when he will reply to the question of 15 October from the hon. Member for Hertsmere, ref 133069.

Alan Johnson: Information on the number of unfilled places on courses offered by universities is not collected centrally.

University Entrants

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  expressed as a percentage of the total student body in (a) 1992, (b) 1997 and (c) 2001, what percentage of (i) student entrants and (ii) student drop-outs came from each socio-economic class;
	(2)  what percentage of new student entrants to Russell Group universities came from each socio-economic class in (a) 1992, (b) 1997 and (c) 2001; and what the figures were of all universities in those years.

Alan Johnson: Information for years prior to 1994 is not available centrally. The available information covers UK domiciled accepted applicant numbers to full time and sandwich first degrees through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) to Russell Group institutions and all UK institutions. Figures are shown in the table.
	The available information on non-completion rates by institution is contained in the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) publication "Performance indicators in higher education in the UK", a copy of which is in the House Library. The figures cover full-time first degree courses only, and show, for each individual HE institution in the UK, the proportion of entrants who failed to complete their course, but these data are not disaggregated by social class.
	
		Percentage(77)of UK domiciled accepted applicants through UCAS to full time and sandwich first degree and HND courses
		
			  Russell Group All UK institutions 
			 Social class 1994 1997 2001 1994 1997 2001 
		
		
			 I—Professional 24.7 24.9 24.2 16.2 14.8 14.4 
			 II—Intermediate 46.7 47.9 47.7 43.6 43.7 43.7 
			 IIIn—Skilled non-manual 10.8 10.8 11.1 12.8 13.9 14.0 
			 IIIm—Skilled manual 11.5 10.3 11.2 17.4 16.7 17.5 
			 IV—Partly skilled 5.2 5.2 4.8 8.0 8.8 8.4 
			 V—Unskilled 1.1 0.9 1.0 2.0 2.1 2.0 
			 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 
		
	
	(77) Of those of known social class.

University Entrants

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the cost of reaching the target of 50 per cent. of 18 to 30-year-olds entering university by 2010.

Alan Johnson: The funding for higher education up to 2005–06 was set out in the White Paper 'The Future of higher education' (Cmd 5735), and in the annual grant letter to the Higher Education Funding Council for England. Assessments of the costs for increasing and widening participation beyond 2005–06 will be made as part of the 2004 Spending Review.

Vocational Education

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the importance placed on the promotion of vocational education within the schools system.

David Miliband: We attach great importance to vocational education in schools and are taking many steps to promote it as a first class option for all pupils. Not only have we made available eight GCSEs in vocational subjects, and backed them up with the £120 million 'Increased Flexibility for 14–16 Year Olds' programme, but we are also developing more GCSEs in vocational subjects and work-related learning will become a statutory requirement for all in 2004.
	In the longer term, we will be considering the recommendations of the 14–19 Working Group as to how we can strengthen vocational programmes for young people.

Work-related Stress

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many cases of work-related stress have been reported in his Department in each of the last three years; how much compensation has been paid to employees; how many work days have been lost due to work-related stress, and at what cost; what procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress, and at what cost; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Clarke: The information requested is not held by my Department in the form requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	My Department is committed to providing its employees with a safe and healthy working environment. It is also committed to meeting the targets for reducing work related injuries and illnesses arising from the Government's Revitalising Health and Safety initiative. This includes ensuring that work practices are safe and that effective occupational health policies and good health management practices are developed.
	My Department has procedures in place to reduce stress related absences which include:
	Training events on stress management available to all staff;
	An interactive on-line package to help with recognition and prevention of stress;
	An employee assistance service which includes an advice and counselling service; and
	An occupational health service that provides practical advice on occupational health issues.
	No compensation has been paid to employees specifically for work related stress in any of the last three years.

Youth Workers

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many youth workers were employed in (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04, broken down by local education authority.

David Miliband: holding answer 6 November 2003
	This information is not yet available, although the figures for 2002–03 should be available within the next two months. I will of course write to my hon. Friend setting out the figures for both 2002–03 and 2003–04 as soon as I have them and I will place a copy in the House Library.

HEALTH

Disabled People (Sexual Relationships)

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what programmes (a) there are and (b) he intends to introduce to enable more disabled people to have fulfilled sexual relationships.

Melanie Johnson: Primary care trusts (PCTs) have been given the flexibility to provide services to best meet local needs, and we would expect this to include appropriate sexual health services for disabled people where such a need exists. To support PCTs in this role, the Department has published best practice information on commissioning sexual health services, which emphasises the need to provide services which are accessible and equitable, including advice on sexual health promotion for disabled people. The Department is also supporting, through a Section 64 grant, the Family Planning Association's project to provide training, advice and support in sexual health to people working with, and caring for, adults with learning disabilities.

Genetically Modified Food

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what techniques are available for identifying unintended changes in GM foods at the molecular level; and what research he has published on this subject;
	(2)  how unintended changes in GM foods approved in Europe are evaluated; and what research he has commissioned on this subject.

Melanie Johnson: Each genetically modified (GM) food approved to date in Europe has been assessed on a case by case basis. A comparison is made between the GM food and its non-GM counterpart and the assessment focuses on any differences between the two. This includes a detailed analysis of the inserted gene and the protein produced, and any differences observed in the overall composition of the food.
	There are a number of techniques, which could potentially be used for identifying unintended effects in GM foods at the molecular level. These include two-dimensional protein gel electrophoresis, protein microarrays, nuclear magnetic resonance and gas and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry.
	The Food Standards Agency funds two research programmes, which underpin the safety assessment of GM foods. One of the programmes is exploring the potential use of the above techniques for detecting unintended changes at the molecular level. The programme started in September 2001 and will finish in 2004.

NHS Dentistry

Bill Etherington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many individuals resident in the City of Sunderland were registered with an NHS dental practitioner in each year since 2000; and how many NHS dental practitioners were practising in the Sunderland PCT area in each year.

Melanie Johnson: Table 1 shows the number of registrations in the general dental service (CDS) for dentists located in the Sunderland area between 2000 and 2003, at 31 August each year.
	
		Thousand(78)
		
			  Registrations(78) 
			  Adults Children Total 
		
		
			 2000 105.0 43.7 148.7 
			 2001 106.9 42.6 149.4 
			 2002 110.0 42.3 152.3 
			 2003(79) 110.9 41.6 152.6 
		
	
	(78) Some of these registrations will include patients resident in other areas. Patients resident in the Sunderland area who attend dentists outside the area are excluded from the figures.
	(79) Number of registrations for Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust, following the move from Health Authority to PCT in October 2002.
	Source
	Dental Practice Board
	Table 2 shows the number of CDS dentists working in the Sunderland area between 2000 and 2003, at 30 June each year.
	
		GDS Dentists
		
			  Principals Assistants Vocational dental practitioners Total dentists 
		
		
			  
			  
			 2000(81) 74 1 7 82 
			 2001(81) 77 1 7 85 
			 2002(81) 85 2 7 94 
			 2003(80),(81) 84 3 9 96 
		
	
	(80) Number of CDS dentists for Sunderland Teaching PCT, following the move from Health Authority to PCT in October 2002.
	(81) These figures cover dentists whose main work is in the area and will include some dentists whose main work is elsewhere.
	Source:
	Dental Practice Board

Accident and Emergency Services

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for patients in accident and emergency departments in each of the hospitals in (a) the Havering, Barking and Redbridge national health service trust and (b) Romford in the last year for which figures are available.

John Hutton: Information on the total time patients spend in accident and emergency departments from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge is collected each quarter from national health service trusts and is routinely published on the Department's website at http://www.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity.
	Copies of the information for England and for each national health service trust and strategic health authority for the last year have been placed in the Library.

Accident and Emergency Services

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time in accident and emergency departments has been in each of the past 12 months, broken down by strategic health authority.

Rosie Winterton: Information is not collected on the average waiting time in accident and emergency departments. Information on the total time patients spend in accident and emergency departments from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge is collected each quarter from national health service trusts and is routinely published on the Department of Health website at http://www.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity/. Copies of the information for England and for each national health service trust and strategic health authority have been placed in the Library.

Accident and Emergency Services

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients admitted to accident and emergency in Worthing hospital in (a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003 waited for more than (i) 12 and (ii) four hours before being treated or transferred to a ward.

Rosie Winterton: Information on accident and emergency is not collected centrally at individual hospital level, or on the time patients wait for treatment. However, the table shows the number of patients who waited more than four hours for a bed in a ward following a decision to admit at Worthing and Southlands Hospitals National Health Service Trust. Information for patients waiting more than 12 hours is not available.
	
		Admission from accident and emergency departments, Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust
		
			 Year/Quarter Number of patients admitted through A&E Patients not placed in bed in a ward within four hours of a decision to admit 
		
		
			 2001–02   
			 1 2,431 122 
			 2 2,432 584 
			 3 2,549 204 
			 4 2,828 198 
			
			 2002–03   
			 1 2,809 140 
			 2 2,854 228 
			 3 3,196 256 
			 4 3,052 275 
			
			 2003–04   
			 1 2,737 137 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health dataset QMAE/QMNG.

Alcohol

George Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will require health warnings to be displayed on alcoholic drinks; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: This issue will be examined as part of the work on the development of the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England, which is currently being undertaken by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit. The strategy is due to implemented from 2004, in line with the commitment given in the NHS Plan.

Alcohol-related Violence

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of treating the victims of alcohol-related violence in town and city centres.

Melanie Johnson: The most recent estimates of costs to the national health service arising from alcohol-related illness and disease was undertaken by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit and published in their Interim Analytical Report on 19 September 2003. This document reported the annual cost of alcohol-related attendances at accident and emergency (A and E) units and alcohol-related ambulance journeys in England at around £0.5 billion per year. This estimate covers all alcohol-related attendances at A and E and ambulance journeys, and does not break the costs down by reason for attendance. However a proportion of these costs will be attributable to alcohol-related violence in town centres.

Alternative Medicine

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the NHS trusts which provide (a) alternative and (b) complementary medicine.

Melanie Johnson: Details of which national health service organisations provide access to complementary or alternative medicines are not recorded centrally.
	However, a survey of general practices in England, conducted in 2001 for the Department by the Medical Care Research Unit, University of Sheffield, found that almost half the practices offered patients some access to complementary or alternative medicines. The therapies most frequently provided were acupuncture and homeopathy.
	Source:
	Family Practice, Vol. 20, No. 5, Oxford University Press 2003.

Ambulance Control Centre (Merseyside)

Joe Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the change in the number of emergency calls received by Merseyside Ambulance Control Centre was in each year since 1993; what the change in staffing levels at Merseyside Ambulance Control Centre was in each such year; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 12 November 2003
	The information is not available in the requested format. The Merseyside Ambulance Control Centre has updated its call routing system in October this year. As a result, only data from 1993 and 2003 is available. The figures for 1993 are available because the control centre documented data in 1993 in order to carry out a ten year comparison in 2003. In 1993–94, the control centre received 368,800 emergency calls. In 2002–03, the figure was 468,700.
	The staffing levels at the Merseyside Ambulance Control Centre are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Percentage of staff 
		
		
			 1998–99 57.78 
			 1999–2000 57.78 
			 2000–01 57.78 
			 2001–02 66.79 
			 2002–03 66.79 
			 Currently 68.79

Ambulances

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average response time of ambulances to 999 calls in the London borough of Havering was in the last year for which figures are available.

John Hutton: Information on response times is collected on a national health service trust basis. A copy is available in the Library and at http://www.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0313.pdf.

Ambulances

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average time an ambulance took to reach hospital was for the last 12 months that figures are available in (a) England, (b) the north west region, (c) Merseyside and (d) St. Helens.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	Details of ambulance performance are contained in the Department of Health Statistical Bulletin, "Ambulance Services, England 2002–03". A copy of the bulletin is available in the Library and on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0313.htm.

Ambulances

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ambulance call-outs were made in the last 12 months for which figures are available in (a) the St. Helens trust area, (b) Merseyside and (c) England.

Rosie Winterton: Information about the number of emergency calls received by national health service ambulance trusts, including Mersey Regional Ambulance Service, is contained in the Department of Health Statistical Bulletin, "Ambulance Services, England 2002–03". A copy of the bulletin is available in the Library and on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0313.htm.

Ambulances

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of ambulance call outs in the most recent 12 months for which figures are available have taken more than (a) 15, (b) 30 and (c) 50 minutes to respond to category A emergency calls in (i) the St. Helens and Knowsley Trust area, (ii) Merseyside and (iii) England.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	Details of ambulance performance are contained in the Department of Health Statistical Bulletin, "Ambulance Services, England 2002–03". A copy of the bulletin is available in the Library and on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0313.htm.

Ambulances

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action is being taken by his Department to respond to the concerns of the Commission for Health Improvement in relation to (a) ambulance response times being manipulated, (b) wide variations in the categorisation of calls, (c) poor management practice in ambulance trusts and (d) the need for appropriate outcome measures for the ambulance service.

Rosie Winterton: The Department of Health and the ambulance service recognise that response times can sometimes be recorded inconsistently. We are determined to resolve this and have already begun to hold constructive discussions with the service and other key stakeholders about how to tighten up and standardise procedures.
	We will not tolerate any deliberate mis-reporting of data and have made it very clear that serious consequences will follow any individual or trusts that seek to manipulate their performance data.
	Response time will always be an important measure of the service to patients and there is no immediate prospect of moving away from the eight minute standard. The standard has clinical origins—it is based on the optimum time limit for intervention in heart attack cases. But there are other signifiers of progress and other measures of success, and we intend to explore the possibilities of supplementing response times with other standards, including those directly related to clinical outcomes.
	We are working closely with the Modernisation Agency and key stakeholders concerning management practices raised within this report.

Appliance Contractors

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he will take to protect patient access to a full range of products after the deregulation of the appliance contractor market;
	(2)  what arrangements he is putting in place for the production of bespoke products after the deregulation of the appliance contractor market;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the savings that the national health service will make under the deregulation of the appliance contractor market;
	(4)  if he will make a statement about his proposals to deregulate the appliance agency market.

Rosie Winterton: We are currently consulting on a range of measures to modernise the regulatory system which governs whether or not a community pharmacy or appliance contractor can dispense national health service prescriptions, known as the "control of entry" test. As well as maintaining and improving access to pharmaceutical services, including the supply of appliances, in all our communities and continuing to raise standards for patients, the aim is to make the system more business friendly, to provide more certainty and reliability for the companies who depend on it and to make the process less time-consuming.
	The measures include a proposal to exempt from that test applications from contractors who intend to provide a wholly mail order or internet based service by implementing the provisions of Section 43 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001 relating to the remote provision of NHS pharmaceutical services. This exemption would be subject to the range of services such contractors are to provide being agreed within the proposed new national contractual framework.
	Full details are given in Chapter 4 of the consultation document, "Proposals to reform and modernise the NHS (Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 1992", published on 29 August 2003 and available on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk./pharmacy regulationconsultation. It also includes at Annex C a draft regulatory impact assessment and competition assessment setting out further details of the possible costs and benefits of the proposals.
	Comments can be sent, by 21 November 2003, to Peter Dunlevy, Pharmacy and Prescriptions Branch, Department of Health, Room 155 Richmond House, 79 Whitehall, London SW1A 2NS or e-mail to peter.dunlevy@doh.gsi.gov.uk
	We have also set up a multi-disciplinary advisory group to advise on the details of implementation of the reform proposals. We have asked the group to report by December this year.

Asbestos-related Diseases

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department is able to trace the sources of (a) mesothelioma and (b) other asbestos-related diseases through its records.

Des Browne: I have been asked to reply.
	The information held by the Department and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases is not sufficiently detailed to trace accurately the specific sources of such diseases.
	HSE maintains mesothelioma and asbestosis registers based on information from death certificates but then give only the last known occupation. They also hold information on the medical examinations of asbestos removal workers to assess if in the longer term they are more likely to contract an asbestos-related disease than other occupational groups.
	Claimants for mesothelioma under the Department's Industrial Injuries Benefit scheme provide details of employers where they claim they were exposed to asbestos. But this is a no-fault scheme that does not attribute the cause to a specific employer.

Asperger's Syndrome

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the adequacy of health provision for people with Asperger's syndrome.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 6 November 2003
	No assessment has been made of the adequacy of health provision for people with Asperger's syndrome. It is the responsibility of local statutory authorities to determine the pattern of services in their area in the light of their knowledge of local needs and priorities. People with Asperger's syndrome have the same right of access to health services as everyone else. Adults with Asperger's syndrome are covered by the mental health national service framework in respect of any mental health problems that they may have. We have also issued guidance to the national health service, which states that:
	"adults with Asperger's syndrome are not precluded from using learning disability services, where appropriate, and may require an assessment of their social functioning and communications skills in order to determine their level of need".

Asperger's Syndrome

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether (a) his Department and (b) the National Institute for Clinical Excellence has issued guidance to trusts and doctors on whether Asperger's syndrome should be considered a mental disorder in relation to the Mental Health Act 1995; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Asperger's syndrome is a developmental disorder on the autistic spectrum and as such comes under the definition of mental disorder in the Mental Health Act 1983. Although the Mental Health (Patients in the Community) Act 1995 amended the 1983 Act, it did not change the definition of mental disorder. Guidance on the operation of the Mental Health Act 1983 (the Code of Practice ISBN 0–11–322111–8) was produced by my Department and the then Welsh Office and published by the Stationery Office in 1999. It does not make specific mention of Asperger's syndrome.

Audiology

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve the (a) pay structure and (b) employment package for qualified audiologists; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: "Agenda for Change", the new pay system for national health service employees, including healthcare scientists working in the discipline of audiology, has been negotiated over the past four years by NHS staff and NHS employer representatives working in partnership. From 2003–04 to 2005–06 the package will give a 10 per cent. pay increase to all staff, plus an estimated 5.9 per cent. on average from the reform package in the longer run.
	"Agenda for Change" is being tested in 12 'early implementer' sites with a view to implementing the new system nationally from October 2004.

Audiology

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many audiologists qualified in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many people are being trained as audiologists.

Stephen Ladyman: The information requested is not available centrally.
	The Health Professions Council (HPC) holds information on the numbers of clinical scientists in audiology on its register, a prerequisite for employment in the United Kingdom. This information can be found on the HPC website at http://www.hpc-uk.org/about us/facts figures cpsm registrants.htm.

Audiology

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how long it takes for an audiologist to become qualified.

John Hutton: The length of time it takes to become a qualified audiologist depends upon an individual's entry qualifications and experience. The major education and training route into audiology, and associated with a defined scope of practice, will be the new four year BSc (Hons) vocational degree in audiology. Within this programme, there will be an opportunity for some non-audiology graduates to undertake a fast track two year education and training route leading to a graduate diploma.
	Good honours graduates in relevant science subjects can still enter into the national health service as clinical scientist audiology trainees. They spend a period of up to four years in postgraduate education and training (incorporating an MSc degree and clinical training) before becoming registered with the Health Professions Council (HPC) as a clinical scientist in the modality of audiology.

Audiology

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects digital hearing aids to be available to patients on the NHS in the borough of Redcar and Cleveland.

Melanie Johnson: The James Cook University hospital, Middlesbrough, will be fitting digital hearing aids routinely as a part of a modernised hearing aid service by March 2004.

Breast Feeding

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to encourage more hospitals in England to seek baby-friendly accreditation from UNICEF by promoting increased uptake of breast feeding.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 29 October 2003
	The Department works closely with the UK Baby Friendly Initiative to help further the mutual aim of promoting increased uptake of breast feeding. It is for local national health service trusts to decide whether to seek baby-friendly accreditation from UNICEF.

Breast Feeding

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to ensure that student (a) midwives and (b) health visitors receive adequate education on breast feeding as part of their pre-registration training.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 29 October 2003
	The regulatory Council for Nursing and Midwifery sets the standards and outline requirements for pre-registration nurse and midwifery education. Additional content may be included to reflect the employment needs of the local service providers. National health service trusts, as local service providers, will wish to ensure that their staff receive adequate education on breast feeding to enable them to deliver the targets in the Priorities and Planning Framework to increase breast feeding initiation rates. In the NHS Plan, the Government have made a commitment to provide increased support for breast feeding.

Cancer

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will amend the Cancer Patient Information Strategy to ensure that information on (a) diagnosis and (b) treatment is available for all people affected by (i) breast cancer and (ii) cancer in general who want it.

Melanie Johnson: The provision of a range of high quality, accurate, culturally sensitive and timely information materials about cancer and cancer services for patients and carers throughout the course of their illness is one of the key recommendations in the NHS Cancer Plan (September 2000). It is also in the draft National Institute for Clinical Excellence's supportive and palliative care guidance, due to be published in February 2004. These build on the Cancer Information Strategy, published in June 2000,
	Work to address this need is being taken forward by the coalition for cancer information (CCI). The CCI, which was formed in June 2002, brings together producers and consumers of cancer information, including Breast Cancer Care, CancerBACUP and Macmillan Cancer Relief. The role of the CCI is to oversee the development of high quality information materials for those affected by cancer. It is presently taking forward work on quality assurance and accreditation and it will also address issues concerning the development of information, dissemination and delivery to patients.

Cannabis

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to accelerate the process to allow the prescription of medicinal cannabis.

Stephen Ladyman: A marketing authorisation has not yet been issued for cannabis for pain relief use. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency will consider any application for a medicinal product containing cannabinoids for the treatment of spasticity and other symptoms related to multiple sclerosis.
	Like any other medicinal product, however, cannabis-based medicines can only be granted a marketing authorisation for medical purposes when supporting data have been submitted to demonstrate that the quality, safety and efficacy of the product are satisfactory for the intended use.

Care Home Beds

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has received from the National Care Standards Commission on the number of care home beds in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003.

Stephen Ladyman: The National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) noted in their annual report, published in September 2003, that there were 426,600 care places in homes registered in England at 31 March 2003. This figure excludes some local authority homes which had not been registered and therefore is not comparable with data for previous years published by the Department of Health.
	Due to operational and technical problems with the NCSC database they have been unable to produce information for 2002.

Care Home Inspection

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many care home inspectors are employed; how many vacancies there are in each region for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Headquarters East Midlands Eastern London North East North West 
		
		
			 Number of Inspectors on Establishment (wte) 0.00 113.25 122.61 133.76 74.91 204.01 
			 Headcount of Inspectors in Post 0 110 128 146 75 199 
			 Number of Inspectors in Post (wte) 0.00 103.31 122.30 136.46 72.41 191.10 
			 Vacancies 0.00 9.94 0.31 -2.70 2.50 12.91 
			 Percentage of Inspectors in post 0.00 91.22 99.75 102.02 96.66 93.67 
		
	
	
		
			  South East South West West Midlands Yorkshire/Humberside PVH National 
		
		
			 Number of Inspectors on Establishment (wte) 256.13 195.99 144.26 132.86 61.35 1,439.1 
			 Headcount of Inspectors in Post 261 205 150 135 66 1,475 
			 Number of Inspectors in Post (wte) 246.79 189.39 139.29 129.41 59.73 1,390.1 
			 Vacancies 9.34 6.60 4.97 3.45 1.62 48.94 
			 Percentage of inspectors in post 96.35 96.63 96.55 97.40 97.36 96.60 
		
	
	wte—whole-time equivalent

British Lung Foundation

George Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has held with the British Lung Foundation; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, will be meeting representatives of the British Lung Foundation in the near future.

Care Homes

Tim Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the cost of converting residential rooms operated by the Leonard Cheshire Organisation at the Holehird home for the disabled in Windermere to comply with new national care standards.

Stephen Ladyman: The national minimum standards for care homes for adults 18 to 65 and those for care homes for older people were introduced in April 2002. It is not possible to estimate the cost for individual care homes of meeting the standards as this will vary from home to home depending on the individual circumstances of the home, including the type of resident cared for and the extent to which it already meets the necessary standards. It is for the National Care Standards Commission to inspect care homes to ensure they meet the assessed needs of their residents.

Care Homes

Tim Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the proposed closure of the Holehird Leonard Cheshire home for the disabled in Windermere.

Stephen Ladyman: The decision to close Holehird is an operational one for the Leonard Cheshire Foundation. It is not generally appropriate for central government to intervene when a home closes.
	We appreciate how traumatic it can be for vulnerable people who have to be moved from residential care homes which have become their true homes. It is, therefore, important that any decision to close a home is taken as sensitively and appropriately as possible.
	Local councils have a responsibility for making satisfactory alternative arrangements for anyone that they place in a home which subsequently closes. There should be adequate time for the safe and satisfactory transfer of all residents to other suitable homes. This should be done in a way that takes into account the views of residents and their relatives and creates the minimum possible discomfort to all concerned.

Cervical Cancer

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people participated in the limited implementation human papilloma virus pilot scheme in (a) Newcastle, (b) North Bristol and (c) Norfolk and Norwich; and if he will make a statement on the scheme.

Melanie Johnson: A pilot study of liquid based cytology (LBC) and human papilloma viruses (HPV) testing as triage within the national health service cervical screening programme began in April 2001 at three sites. The independent evaluation report on the LBC arm of the pilot was sent to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) in April 2003. On 22 October 2003, NICE published its appraisal of LBC and recommended that this new technology be introduced across the NHS. The independent evaluation of the HPV arm of pilot is due to report in spring 2004.
	Details of the number of people who participated in the pilot are shown in the table.
	
		
			Number of people participating 
			 Pilot site HPV LBC 
		
		
			 Norfolk and Norwich 3,220 61,684 
			 Bristol 3,858 81,155 
			 Newcastle 5,109 80,116

Chiropody

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients recorded as first contacts for chiropody services during 2002–03 (a) had a foot condition that was cured and (b) did not go on to receive foot care.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 14 October 2003
	This information is not collected centrally.

Chiropody

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what studies he has commissioned on access and eligibility criteria used by primary care trusts for NHS chiropody provision; and what the results were;
	(2)  what steps are being taken to harmonise access and eligibility criteria for chiropody services across (a) primary care trusts and (b) regions;
	(3)  what extent access and eligibility criteria for chiropody services operated by primary care trusts are based on (a) patient need and (b) funding requirement.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 14 October 2003
	We have not commissioned any such studies. Eligibility criteria are broadly the same everywhere and are essentially clinical though there may be detail differences from place to place. Access in individual cases may depend on a variety of factors including funding but predominantly acuteness of problem, medical risk or clinical need. It is for primary care trusts to determine the level of resources to devote to the treatment of different conditions in their localities.

Continence Services

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many primary care trusts include the development of an integrated continence service in their health improvement programme.

Stephen Ladyman: We do not collect this information centrally. Health improvement programmes have now been replaced by local delivery plans (LDPs). Each national health service trust is now responsible for creating its own business plan, which shows how it will deploy its resources to deliver on both national and local priorities and fit within the plans of its primary care trust (PCT) commissioners. These local plans will not be analysed centrally.
	Strategic health authorities (SHAs) will bring together those PCT plans into a comprehensive LDP for their area. In general, the SHA-level local delivery plan will be the only plan the Department will formally sign-off. The LDP that is submitted to the Department addresses the Priorities in the Planning and Performance Framework (Improvement, expansion and reform: The next three years' priorities and planning framework, 2003–06). Formal monitoring only covers those priorities and will not provide detail of individual service provision like continence services.
	The national service framework for older people includes a milestone that, by April 2004, all local health and social care systems should have established an integrated continence service.

CT Scans

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average time was between diagnosis of a suspected haemorrhagic stroke and the administration of a CT scan in 2002–03.

Stephen Ladyman: This information is not collected centrally. The target in this area is to achieve a computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging scan in less than 48 hours. The summary report of the 2001–02 National Sentinel Stroke Audit reported that more patients than ever had brain imaging, with at least 83 per cent., meeting that target.

Dentistry

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the availability to new patients of NHS dentistry in the Gosport constituency; and what the prescribed minimum level of availability is in England.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 4 November 2003
	The Government are committed to ensure that national health service dentistry is available to all those who need and seek it. Those wishing to see a NHS dentist can do so by contacting NHS Direct for information on dentists offering NHS dental services in their areas. It is recognised that not all dentists on general dental service lists of primary care trusts (PCTs) are accepting new NHS registrations. We have set up a NHS Support Team to work with PCTs on dental access. We have also announced new funds totalling £44 million for 2003–04 and 2004–05 to support dental access, choice and quality.
	Subject to Parliament, the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill will give new duties for PCTs to secure primary dental services. With these new responsibilities will go the £1.2 billion financial resources currently held centrally.
	On 1 August 2003, as part of the new arrangements for NHS dentistry, we set up the new special health authority in shadow form to support PCTs. A team from the special health authority and the NHS dentistry support team met with NHS officials for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight at the end of October to discuss the development of a dentistry action plan and the support team will be working closely with the NHS locally to take this forward.
	In the meantime, the Fareham and Gosport primary care trust is putting in place a range of measures to improve access to dental services in the area. This includes a dental access centre in Fareham designed to provide unregistered patients with access to NHS dentistry. This is supported by an incentive scheme which offers additional access to NHS dental care based in existing dental surgeries.

Dentistry

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many dentists in north east Lincolnshire provide NHS dentistry for adults; and how many will take new NHS clients onto their rolls;
	(2)  what proposals he has for improving access to NHS dentistry in north east Lincolnshire.

Melanie Johnson: 44 general dental service (GDS) dentists were working in the North East Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) area on 30 June 2003, all of whom provided national health service dentistry for adults.
	The www.nhs.uk website shows that no dentists are taking on new NHS patients in the North East Lincolnshire PCT area.
	Patients seeking to register with a dentist can access information on the dental practices taking on new NHS patients by contacting NHS Direct, their local PCT or by accessing the www.nhs.uk website. Registrations are being accepted in Stamford, Grantham and Lincoln.
	The Department has approved an application for funding one full time salaried dentist plus support staff, which has been submitted by North East Lincolnshire PCT.
	Following local discussion between the PCT and local dental practitioners, a proposal has been developed to establish an urgent "dental access service" based in Grimsby to serve north east Lincolnshire patients.

Disciplinary Investigations

Geoffrey Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what guidelines are in place to ensure that disciplinary investigations within NHS trusts are independent;
	(2)  what scrutiny is undertaken to ensure that (a) disciplinary investigations within NHS trusts are independent and (b) investigatory panels make undisputed conclusions.

John Hutton: holding answer 12 November 2003
	National health service trusts are free to employ staff under such terms as they see fit (section 16, NHS and Community Care Act 1990). Trusts are also responsible for the establishment of their own local disciplinary procedures for medical and dental staff. In the 1990s, many trusts developed new procedures often based on the procedures set out in circulars HC(90)9 and HSG(94)49.
	The Department has been working closely with the British Medical Association to develop a new national framework. Trusts will be required to ensure that their local procedures adhere to the principles and procedures set out in the framework.

Disciplinary Investigations

Geoffrey Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that, in contentious disciplinary cases, evidence submitted to an investigation is not (a) altered and (b) summarised.

John Hutton: holding answer 12 November 2003
	All disciplinary issues are a matter for the employing national health service trust, which must ensure that their procedures comply with employment law. The Department is currently working with the British Medical Association to introduce a new national framework for hospital doctors and dentists. Serious cases should be referred to the General Medical Council or the General Dental Council.

Distalgesic Tablets

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the decision was taken to place Distalgesic tablets on Schedule 10 to the NHS (General Medical Services) Regulations 1992; and on what advice the decision was taken.

Rosie Winterton: Distalgesic tablets were placed on Schedule 10 of the NHS (General Medical Services) Regulations 1992, in April 1985. The listing was made on the recommendation of the then advisory committee on national health service drugs, an independent committee of pharmaceuticals and medical experts.

East Kent Hospitals

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the payment to overcome exceptional circumstances referred to in his July announcement on the future of East Kent Hospitals and in his Minister of State's letter to the hon. Member for Canterbury is a grant or a loan.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 16 September 2003
	Kent and Medway Strategic Health Authority has been told by the NHS Bank to assume the one-off payment of £17 million in respect of East Kent Hospitals is recoverable from future primary care trust allocations after the current planning round.

Elderly Medicine

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likely demand for specialists in elderly medicine.

Rosie Winterton: The NHS Plan provides for increases in national health service staffing, including 7,500 more consultants between 1999 and 2004. So far, an additional 155 1 specialists in geriatric medicine and 84 1 in old age psychiatry have been appointed, in addition to a range of other specialties who provide services to older people. The NHS has developed local delivery plans for 2003 to 2006, which are based on local assessment of need for staff. These suggest annual increases of between 3 per cent. and 4 per cent. between now and 2006 in geriatric medicine (+20 to 30 whole-time equivalent) and between 3 per cent. and 4 per cent. between now and 2006 in old age psychiatry (+10 to 20 whole-time equivalent).
	1 Whole-time equivalent consultants.
	2 Whole-time equivalent consultants.
	Sources:
	1 Medical and Non Medical census: 30 September 1999 and 30 June 2003.
	2 NHS local delivery plans.

Emergency Care Strategy Unit

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the (a) priorities and (b) work programme of the Emergency Care Strategy Unit.

Rosie Winterton: The emergency care strategy team within the Department of Health is responsible for managing and developing government policy relating to emergency care. The scope of this work includes accident and emergency ambulance services and critical care, with priorities to reflect NHS Plan targets.
	Further information can be found on the emergency care pages on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/emergencycare.

Emergency Services

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many times in each of the last 12 months an ambulance has taken over (a) 15 minutes, (b) 30 minutes, (c) 60 minutes and (d) 90 minutes to respond to category B emergency calls in East Sussex; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what percentage of emergency calls from GPs surgeries were answered within 15 minutes in East Sussex in each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what percentage of emergency calls were answered within 19 minutes in East Sussex in each of the last 12 months, broken down by category; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The Department does not collect this information by general practitioner surgeries. Information is collected on National Health Service trust basis. A copy is available in the Library and at http://www.doh.gov.uk/public/sbQ313.pdf.

Eye Tests

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pensioners in the Haltemprice and Howden constituency received free eye tests in the last two years for which figures are available.

Melanie Johnson: The table shows the number of National Health Service sight tests paid for in East Riding and Hull Health Authority for 2001–02 and 2002–03. Figures for the number of sight tests by constituency or age are not collected centrally. The table shows the number of sight tests where "patient aged 60 and over" was given as the eligibility category and all sight tests.
	Eligibility to NHS sight tests was extended to those aged 60 and over from 1 April 1999.
	
		General Ophthalmic Services: Number of sight tests paid in East Riding and Hull HA for the years 2001–02 and 2002–03 -- Thousand
		
			  Total sight test for patients aged 60 and over All sight tests  
		
		
			 2001–02 44.6 111.0 
			 2002–03 41.3 108.0 
		
	
	Note:
	Data on eligibility category is derived from a 2 per cent. sample.

Fatal Operations

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people died during operations in the hospitals in the London borough of Havering in 2002.

John Hutton: This information is not collected centrally.

Flu Vaccine

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the take-up rates for flu vaccine were at (a) 1 November and (b) 1 December 2002 for each health authority.

Melanie Johnson: Influenza vaccine uptake rates in those aged 65 years and above for 1 November and 1 December 2002 by strategic health authority are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Percentage uptake 
			 Strategic health authority November 2002 December 2002 
		
		
			 Birmingham and Black Country 50.8 60.6 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 57.1 68.2 
			 West Midlands South Health Authority 57.2 67.2 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland 55.0 65.8 
			 Trent 58.7 68.6 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 53.9 64.3 
			 Essex 54 64.7 
			 Norfolk Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 58.3 68.1 
			 South Yorkshire 57.7 67.3 
			 West Yorkshire 57.6 66.8 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire 60.1 69.8 
			 Northumberland Tyne and Wear 58.7 67.9 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 55.5 66.0 
			 Greater Manchester 53.8 63.5 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 53.8 67.0 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 57.9 67.5 
			 North East London 53.4 61.5 
			 North Central London 45.2 56.6 
			 South East London 46.2 54.1 
			 South West London 50.5 61.8 
			 North West London 47.4 56.6 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 55.5 68.4 
			 Thames Valley 54.9 68.3 
			 Surrey and Sussex 55.4 66.3 
			 Kent and Medway 55.6 65.4 
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 54.4 67.3 
			 South West Peninsula 54.8 64.1 
			 Dorset and Somerset 56.5 68.5

Flu Vaccine

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people aged 65 years or over have been immunised against influenza in (a) South Tyneside, (b) Tyne and Wear, (c) the North East and (d) the UK in each year since 1997.

Melanie Johnson: Monitoring of influenza vaccinations given to those aged 65 and over started in 2000. The number of people receiving flu vaccine since 2000 are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Health Authority/Primary Care Trust Number of people immunised 
		
		
			 2000–01 Gateshead and South Tyneside(82) 42,093 
			  Tyne and Wear(83) 128,644 
			  North East(84) 157,190 
			  England(85) 4,965,370 
			
			 2001–02 Gateshead and South Tyneside(82) 43,082 
			  Tyne and Wear(83) 124,226 
			  North East(84) 162,909 
			  England(85) 5,113,036 
			
			 2002–03 South Tyneside 19,480 
			  Tyne and Wear(84) 128,521 
			  Northumberland Tyne and Wear Strategic Health Authority(85) 167,742 
			  England(86) 5,487,645 
		
	
	(82) Data recorded by Health Authority only until 2002, when they became primary care trusts (PCTs). Gateshead and South Tyneside were one health authority (HA) in 2000–01 and 2001–02.
	(83) Tyne and Wear not recorded as a HA or PCT. We have therefore used current strategic health authority (SHA)/PCT data to record Tyne and Wear as the following Newcastle, North Tyneside, Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland Teaching PCT.
	(84) North East data based on current SHA/PCT breakdown (see next point).
	(85) PCTs covered by Northumberland Tyne and Wear SHA are Newcastle, North Tyneside, Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland Teaching PCT and Northumberland. We have therefore used the same PCTs to provide the North East figure for 2000–01 and 2001–02.
	(86) Devolved territories record their own information on flu uptake.

Food Manufacturers

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received from manufacturers of foods for particular nutritional uses.

Melanie Johnson: Food Standards Agency officials have met recently with various stakeholders to discuss issues affecting foods for particular nutritional uses. Topics discussed include the draft European Regulation on health and nutrition claims, the proposed European Directive on 'sports foods' and gluten-free foods.
	Manufacturers of foods for particular nutritional uses have concerns about the potential impact of the proposed regulation on health and nutrition claims on the labelling of these foods.

Food Supplements

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Food Standards Agency will meet representatives of (a) the Health Food Manufacturers Association, (b) the Institute for Optimum Nutrition and (c) other stakeholder organisations to discuss ways of improving the evidence base for the assessment of nutrient safety.

Melanie Johnson: The Food Standards Agency has been in regular dialogue with stakeholders. This has included meeting manufacturers' associations and other stakeholders to advise on the requirements for submission of dossiers on nutrient sources to European Food Safety Authority, and advising, where requested, on the types of research needed to fill data gaps on the safety of individual vitamins and minerals.

Foundation Hospital Trusts

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will require chief executives of putative NHS foundation hospital trusts to publish details of their consultations with the public on the proposal for foundation hospitals together with an assessment of the results.

John Hutton: Before authorising a national health service foundation trust, the Independent Regulator must be satisfied that consultation has taken place and has been satisfactory. Documentation submitted to the Independent Regulator by applicants must therefore show evidence of consultation with key stakeholders. This document will be public.

Foundation Hospital Trusts

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with putative NHS foundation trusts concerning the means whereby the token sum required for people to become members might be collected.

John Hutton: The Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill was amended in House of Lords Committee to remove the requirement on prospective members of national health service foundation trusts to commit to paying a sum of up to a pound.

Foundation Hospital Trusts

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether doctors who have been struck off the medical register are eligible for election to the board of governors of a foundation trust.

John Hutton: Subject to Parliament, the legislation on national health service foundation trusts will allow a NHS foundation trust's constitution to make further provision as to the circumstances in which a person may not become or continue as a member of the Board of Governors. It will be up to each NHS foundation trust to decide whether to include in their constitution a provision that doctors who have been struck off the medical register are not eligible to sit on the Board of Governors.
	If a NHS foundation trust's constitution did not include any such provision, then a doctor who had been struck off the medical register would be eligible to sit on the Board of Governors if elected by any of the public, patient or staff constituencies, provided that they were otherwise eligible to stand.

Foundation Hospital Trusts

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 4 November 2003, Official Report, column 585W, on foundation hospitals, if he will place in the Library copies of the material produced by putative NHS foundation hospital trusts which seek public support for such status.

John Hutton: Copies of the documents requested will be placed in the Library shortly.

Guidance Updates (NICE)

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was in each of the last three years of sending guidance updates from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence to (a) all hon. Member and (b) Members of the National Assembly for Wales.

Rosie Winterton: The average cost per mailing for both right hon. and hon. Members and Welsh Assembly Members is £500.

GP Waiting Times

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for an appointment with a general practitioner was in the London borough of Havering in 2002–03.

John Hutton: Information on the time each patient waits to see a general practitioner is not collected. However, data on the availability of appointments show that in March 2003, 90 per cent. of the population of Havering Primary Care Trust were able to be offered an appointment with a general practitioner within two working days.

GPs

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were registered with GP practices in Taunton in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: Information on the number of patients registered with general practitioner practices in Taunton since 1997 is shown in the tables.
	
		Patients of unrestricted principals and equivalents (UPEs)(87) in Somerset HA; 1997–2001 -- Numbers (headcount)
		
			  Somerset HA 
		
		
			 1997 491,210 
			 1998 491,104 
			 1999 493,256 
			 2000 502,039 
			 2001 462,530 
		
	
	Notes:
	UPEs include GMS unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs and PMS salaried GPs.
	Data as at 1 October 1997–99 and 30 September 2000–01
	Source:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics
	
		Patients of unrestricted principals and equivalents (UPEs)(87) in Taunton HA; 1999–2002 -- Numbers (headcount)
		
			  Taunton and Area PCG Taunton Deane PCT  
		
		
			  4XM98 5K2 
			 1999 140,852 — 
			 2000 144,049 — 
			 2001 137,774 — 
			 2002 — 105,406 
		
	
	Notes:
	UPEs include GMS unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs and PMS salaried GPs.
	Data as at 1 October 1999 and 30 September 2000–02
	Source:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.
	
		Patients of unrestricted principals and equivalents (UPEs)(87) in Taunton; 1999–2002 -- Numbers (headcount)
		
			  Taunton and Area PCG Taunton Deane PCT  
		
		
			  4XM98 5K2 
			 1999 140,852 — 
			 2000 144,049 — 
			 2001 137,774 — 
			 2002 — 105,406 
		
	
	Notes:
	UPEs include GMS unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs and PMS salaried GPs.
	Data as at 1 October 1997–99 and 30 September 2000–01
	Source:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.

GPs

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) nurses, (b) non-medical, non-nursing care workers and (c) administrative staff were employed in general practitioner practices in Taunton in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is shown in the tables.
	
		Practice staff(87) by type 1997 to 2001 for Somerset health authority -- Whole-time equivalent
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 Practice Staff(87) 604 616 583 601 629 
			 Of which:  
			 Practice Nurse 102 105 106 113 114 
			 Direct Patient Care 21 24 8 8 14 
			 Admin and Clerical 481 487 468 481 487 
			 Other — 1 — — 15 
		
	
	(87) Practice Staff includes Practice Nurses, Direct Patient Care, Admin and Clerical and Other
	Note:
	Data as at 1 October 1992–99 and 30 September 2000–01
	Source:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.
	
		Practice staff(88) by type 1992 to 2001 for Somerset health authority -- Number (headcount)
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 
		
		
			 Practice Staff(88) 923 914 907 907 1,058 
			 Of which:  
			 Practice Nurse(89) 183 191 194 176 206 
		
	
	(88) Practice Staff includes Practice Nurses, Direct Patient Care, Admin and Clerical and Other
	(89) Headcount practice nurse figures are estimated for these years. Headcount figures for other types of practice staff are not available separately.
	Note:
	Data as at 1 October 1997–99 and 30 September 2000–01
	Source:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.
	
		Practice staff(90) for Taunton by type -- Whole-time equivalent
		
			  1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 Taunton and Area 
			 Practice Staff 160 173 n/a n/a 
			 Of which: 
			 Practice Nurse 30 32 n/a n/a 
			 Direct Patient Care 4 6 n/a n/a 
			 Admin and Clerical 126 134 n/a n/a 
			 Other — — n/a n/a 
			  
			 Taunton Deane PCT 
			 Practice Staff n/a n/a 175 261 
			 Of which: 
			 Practice Nurse n/a n/a 30 47 
			 Direct Patient Care n/a n/a 7 10 
			 Admin and Clerical n/a n/a 129 199 
			 Other n/a n/a 9 4 
		
	
	n/a = Not available
	Note:
	(90) Practice Staff includes Practice Nurses, Direct Patient Care, Admin and Clerical and Other
	
		Practice staff(91) for Taunton by type -- Number (headcount)
		
			  1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			  Taunton and Area PCG   
			 Practice Staff 276 252 n/a n/a 
			 Of which: 
			 Practice Nurse 54 48 n/a n/a 
			  
			 Taunton Deane PCT 
			 Practice Staff n/a n/a 284 400 
			 Of which: 
			 Practice Nurse n/a n/a 55 56 
		
	
	n/a = Not available
	(91) Practice Staff includes Practice Nurses, Direct Patient Care, Admin and Clerical and Other. Headcount figures for other types of practice staff are not available separately.
	Notes:
	1. Data as at 1 October 1999 and 30 September 2000–02.
	2. Practice Nurse figure estimated in 1999.
	Source:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.

Group B Streptococcus

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what cost analysis he has carried out of introducing a pilot screening programme for pregnant women to test for Group B Streptococcus; and what he estimates the costs involved would be.

Stephen Ladyman: The UK National Screening Committee (NSC) has commissioned an assessment of the existing evidence on screening for Group B Streptococcus in pregnancy against criteria used to assess potential screening programmes to ensure they do more good than harm. This assessment will include consideration of the costs that would be involved in introducing a screening programme. The NSC is expected to consider policy options at its meeting in December 2003.

Health Care (York)

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) average waiting time for an initial appointment to see a cancer specialist and (b) average time between initial referral and appropriate specialist treatment for cancer at York District Hospital was in each year since 1996–97.

Melanie Johnson: The information is not available in the format requested. The table shows the number of cancer patients treated within certain timeframes at York Hospitals National Health Service Trust.
	
		Patients treated within 31 days of being urgently referred by their G(D)P with suspected cancer and subsequently diagnosed with cancer: York Hospitals NHS Trust
		
			  Quarter Cancer site Total patients treated Percentage treated within 31 days 
		
		
			 2001–02 4 Children's cancers 0 n/a 
			   Testicular cancer 0 n/a 
			   Acute Leukaemia 0 n/a 
			  
			 2002–03 1 Children's cancers 0 n/a 
			   Testicular cancer 3 100.00 
			   Acute Leukaemia 0 n/a 
			  
			 2002–03 2 Children's cancers 0 n/a 
			   Testicular cancer 1 100.00 
			   Acute Leukaemia 0 n/a 
			  
			 2002–03 3 Children's cancers 0 n/a 
			   Testicular cancer 3 100.00 
			   Acute Leukaemia 0 n/a 
			  
			 2002–03 4 Children's cancers 0 n/a 
			   Testicular cancer 1 100.00 
			   Acute Leukaemia 0 n/a 
			  
			 2003–04 1 Children's cancers 0 n/a 
			   Testicular cancer 1 100.00 
			   Acute Leukaemia 1 100.00 
		
	
	
		Patients treated within 31 days of being diagnosed with breast cancer: York Hospitals NHS Trust
		
			  Quarter Total patients treated Percentage treated within 31 days 
		
		
			 2001–02 4 64 100.00 
			 2002–03 1 70 100.00 
			 2002–03 2 56 100.00 
			 2002–03 3 48 100.00 
			 2002–03 4 67 100.00 
			 2003–04 1 62 100.00 
		
	
	
		Patients treated within 62 days of being urgently referred by their G(D)P with suspected cancer and subsequently diagnosed with breast cancer: York Hospitals NHS Trust
		
			  Quarter Total patients treated Percentage treated within 62 days 
		
		
			 2003–04 1 25 100.00 
		
	
	Note:
	Data were not collected prior to the dates in the tables.
	Source:
	Department of Health form QMCW.

Health Service Ombudsman

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Health Service Ombudsman cases were considered in the last year for which figures are available; how many cases were (a) upheld and (b) rejected; what the average time taken to consider a case was; and what the average cost per case was.

Rosie Winterton: The Health Service Ombudsman publishes information about the handling of cases in her annual report, copies of which are available in the Library and on the Ombudsman's website at www.ombudsman.org.uk.

Health Services (Somerset)

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) children and adolescents, (b) adults and (c) pensioners were treated by the Somerset Partnership Mental Health Trust in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: Information on the total number of patients admitted for treatment by Somerset National Health Service Trust since 1997 is available by age, and is shown in the table. Admissions are defined as the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. These figures do not represent the number of in-patients as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
	
		Total patients by age within Somerset Partnership NHS Trust
		
			  Age group 
			  0–14 years 15–59 years 60–74 years 75+ years 
		
		
			 1997–98 7 1,210 473 715 
			 1998–99 * 1,262 372 707 
			 1999–2000 6 1,298 378 711 
			 2000–01 10 1,338 357 789 
			 2001–02 * 1,274 312 609 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Due to reasons of confidentiality, figures between one and five have been suppressed and replaced with an asterisk.
	2. Figures for 2001–02 have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data.
	Source:
	Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health.

Health Services (Somerset)

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 5 November 2003, Official Report, column 689W, on Health Services (Somerset), what the reasons are for the increases in (a) places in private residential homes in 1998 and (b) places in independent nursing homes in 1998.

Stephen Ladyman: The years 1997–99 showed a steady increase in the numbers of places in private residential homes and places in independent nursing homes, in Somerset, as shown in the table. The reasons behind this trend have not been determined.
	
		Number of places in Somerset, 1997–99
		
			  Private residential homes Independent nursing homes 
		
		
			 1997 2,265 2,575 
			 1998 2,995 2,830 
			 1999 3,000 2,870 
		
	
	Source:
	K036, RA and RH(N) FORM A

Hearing Aids

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average current waiting time is in the South West London Strategic Health Authority for a hearing aid assessment to fit digital hearing aids.

John Hutton: These figures are not held centrally.

Health Services (Taunton)

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) consultants and (b) junior hospital doctors there were in each clinical speciality at (i) Taunton and Somerset NHS Hospital Trust and (ii) Taunton Deane Primary Care Trust in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The numbers of consultants and junior hospital doctors in each clinical speciality at Taunton and Somerset National Health Service Hospital Trust and Taunton Deane Primary Care Trust are shown in the table.
	
		Hospital Public Health Medicine and Community Health Services: Medical and Dental Consultants (including Directors of Public Health) and Doctors in Training within specified organisations -- Number (headcount)
		
			  Taunton Deane PCT Taunton and Somerset NHS Trust 
			  2002 March 2003 June 2003 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 March 2003 June 2003 
		
		
			 Consultant (including Directors of Public Health) 2 2 1 86 90 92 99 104 109 115 115 
			 Accident and emergency 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 
			 Anaesthetics (inc. Intensive care medicine) 0 0 0 11 12 14 14 15 17 18 18 
			 Cardiology 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 4 4 4 
			 Chemical pathology 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Clinical radiology 0 0 0 7 8 8 9 9 9 10 10 
			 Dermatology 0 0 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 
			 Endocrinology and diabetes mellitus 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 2 2 2 
			 Gastroenterology 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 3 3 2 
			 General surgery 0 0 0 6 6 7 7 8 9 9 9 
			 Genito-urinary medicine 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Geriatric medicine 0 0 0 4 4 4 4 5 4 5 5 
			 Haematology 0 0 0 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 
			 Histopathology 0 0 0 4 3 4 4 4 4 6 7 
			 Medical microbiology and virology 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Neurology 0 0 0 2 2 2 3 3 2 3 3 
			 Obstetrics and gynaecology 0 0 0 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 6 
			 Occupational health 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Ophthalmology 0 0 0 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 6 
			 Oral and maxillo facial surgery 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Orthodontics 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 
			 Otolaryngology 0 0 0 3 3 2 3 3 4 4 4 
			 Paediatrics 0 0 0 6 6 5 6 6 6 6 6 
			 Public health medicine 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Rehabilitation medicine 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Respiratory medicine 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Rheumatology 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 2 2 
			 Trauma and orthopaedic surgery 0 0 0 6 6 6 7 8 8 8 8 
			 Urology 0 0 0 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 
			 Other 0 0 0 10 11 12 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Doctors in training 0 n/a n/a 108 114 115 124 133 139 n/a n/a 
			 Accident and emergency 0 n/a n/a 5 5 6 7 9 10 n/a n/a 
			 Anaesthetics (inc. Intensive care medicine) 0 n/a n/a 11 11 10 12 13 15 n/a n/a 
			 Cardiology 0 n/a n/a 0 0 0 0 1 0 n/a n/a 
			 Gastroenterology 0 n/a n/a 0 0 0 0 2 0 n/a n/a 
			 General surgery 0 n/a n/a 12 13 13 15 17 18 n/a n/a 
			 Geriatric medicine 0 n/a n/a 1 2 3 3 1 0 n/a n/a 
			 Haematology 0 n/a n/a 3 4 4 4 2 2 n/a n/a 
			 Neurology 0 n/a n/a 1 1 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 
			 Obstetrics and gynaecology 0 n/a n/a 9 10 8 10 10 11 n/a n/a 
			 Occupational health 0 n/a n/a 0 0 0 1 1 1 n/a n/a 
			 Ophthalmology 0 n/a n/a 7 7 7 6 7 7 n/a n/a 
			 Oral and maxillo facial surgery 0 n/a n/a 3 3 3 3 3 3 n/a n/a 
			 Orthodontics 0 n/a n/a 1 1 1 1 1 1 n/a n/a 
			 Otolaryngology 0 n/a n/a 4 5 5 5 5 5 n/a n/a 
			 Paediatrics 0 n/a n/a 14 13 12 15 16 18 n/a n/a 
			 Rehabilitation medicine 0 n/a n/a 0 0 0 0 1 1 n/a n/a 
			 Respiratory medicine 0 n/a n/a 0 0 0 0 1 5 n/a n/a 
			 Rheumatology 0 n/a n/a 0 0 0 0 1 — n/a n/a 
			 Trauma and orthopaedic surgery 0 n/a n/a 10 11 10 11 11 12 n/a n/a 
			 Urology 0 n/a n/a 5 4 5 5 4 5 n/a n/a 
			 Other 0 n/a n/a 22 24 28 26 27 25 n/a n/a 
		
	
	Notes:
	n/a = not available. March and June 2003 data are taken from mini censuses that collected Consultants only. Data as at 30 September 1992 to 2002 and 31 March 2003 and 30 June 2003.
	Source:
	Department of Health medical and dental workforce census.

Heath Care (Bath/North East Somerset)

Dan Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) GPs and (b) nurses were employed in Bath and North East Somerset in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2003.

Rosie Winterton: Information on the number of general practitioners and nurses employed in Bath and North East Somerset in 1997 is not available. The latest available information for 2002 and 2003 is shown in the tables.
	
		All general medical practitioners(92) for Bath and North East Somerset Primary Care Trust
		
			  Number (headcount) 
		
		
			 2001 142 
			 March 2002 143 
			 2002 136 
			 March 2003 154 
			 June 2003 144 
		
	
	(92) All practitioners include GMS unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs, PMS salaried GPs, restricted principals, assistants, GP registrars, salaried doctors (Para. 52 SFA), PMS other, GP retainers and flexible career scheme GPs.
	Note:
	Data as at 30 September 2001–02, 31 March 2002–03 and 30 June 2003.
	Source:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.
	
		Total qualified nursing staff for Bath and North East Somerset Primary Care Trust -- Number (headcount)
		
			  2001 2002 
		
		
			  529 517 
			 Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 422 424 
			 GP practice nurses 107 93 
		
	
	Note:
	Data as at September each year.
	Sources:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.
	Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census.

Hepatitis C

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress in working out the details in relation to his announcement on 29 August that he would establish a financial assistance scheme for people infected with hepatitis C as a result of being given blood products by the NHS.

Melanie Johnson: We are making every effort to progress the hepatitis C financial assistance scheme as quickly as possible and expect to announce details of the scheme's eligibility criteria and payment structure shortly.

Herceptin

Virginia Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that there is equal access in different areas to Herceptin.

Melanie Johnson: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health, has asked the National Cancer Director, Professor Mike Richards, to look at the National Health Service in every region and ensure the cancer drugs and treatments, including herceptin, which have been approved by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, are available nationally.
	Professor Richards will be working with cancer networks and the pharmaceutical industry over the next few months to assess the position and identify and address any underlying variations in prescription rates.

Waiting Lists

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people are waiting for hip replacements in each of the London boroughs;
	(2)  how many patients are waiting for orthopaedic surgery in the London borough of Havering;
	(3)  how many patients are waiting for cancer surgery in each of the London boroughs.

John Hutton: The information on specific procedures is not identified in the headline waiting times collected by the Department, which are specialty based.
	Information for individual trusts and specialties is available on the Department's website at www. doh.gov.uk/waitingtimes.

Hypertension

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much extra funding will be provided to practices to support standards in managing high blood pressure; and what the criteria will be for claiming it.

Melanie Johnson: The new contract for general medical services (QMS), accepted by general practitioners on 20 June 2003, will significantly benefit patients by improving the quality of care, including the management of high blood pressure, and widening the range of services available at GP surgeries.
	Two thirds of the additional investment linked to the GMS contract has been earmarked to reward practices for better services. This funding will be allocated through a new Quality and Outcomes Framework, which sets out a range of indicators relating to the detection, recording and management of patients with high blood pressure. Practices will gain a certain number of points according to their performance against these indicators. A typical practice with average list size achieving all the hypertension points might expect to earn £12,975.
	Under the new arrangements for the national health service as outlined in "Shifting the Balance of Power", primary care trusts now allocate funding from their own devolved budgets to deliver national targets and milestones and to meet local priorities. The NHS Planning and Performance Framework target for coronary heart disease (CHD) registers requires that the majority of patients at high risk of CHD, particularly those with hypertension, diabetes and a body mass index greater than 30 are covered by systematic treatment regimes, including appropriate advice on diet, physical activity and smoking.

Infant Formula Milk

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what representations he has received on advertisements for infant formula milk (a) on television and (b) in parents' magazines;
	(2)  what representations he has received on stopping the promotion of breast milk substitutes for feeding to infants.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 29 October 2003
	I have received some letters and emails within the last year about these subjects in general. The Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula Regulations 1995 control the advertisement and promotion of infant formula milk and breast milk substitutes.

Insulin

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of patients who are suited to treatment with animal insulin rather than synthetic insulin;
	(2)  how many people with diabetes require (a) animal insulin and (b) synthetic insulin;
	(3)  what representations his Department has received from patients about the suitability of synthetic insulin.

Rosie Winterton: Data on the number of people using these insulins are not collected. However, the table shows the number of prescription items that were dispensed in the community in England, and their cost, in the 12 months ended June 2003.
	Decisions on the most suitable type of insulin should be made by people with diabetes in consultation with their healthcare providers. The Department has received no representations about the suitability of synthetic insulin.
	
		Number of prescription items and net ingredient cost of Insulins that were dispensed in the community in England for the 12 months ending June 2003
		
			  Number of prescription items (thousand) Net ingredient cost (£000) 
		
		
			 Highly purified animal insulin 128.1 4,217.2 
			 Human sequence (GM Insulin) 3,522.0 150,528.8 
			 All Insulins 3,650.0 154,746.0 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The data is from the Prescription Cost Analysis (PCA) system which covers all prescription items that are dispensed in the community in England. This does not include drugs dispensed in hospitals or private prescriptions.
	2. Insulins are those defined in the British National Formulary (BNF) paragraph 6.1.1, "Insulins". Insulin drugs have been grouped into highly purified animal and human sequence (GM) insulin in line with the British National Formulary (BNF).
	3. Doctors write prescriptions on a prescription form. Each single item written on the form is counted as a prescription item. The net ingredient cost refers to the cost (which the dispenser is reimbursed) of the drug before discounts and does not include any dispensing costs or fees.

Insulin

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what evidence he has received on adverse reactions to synthetic insulin among diabetics which were not experienced when animal insulin was used; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans he has to issue guidance to the medical profession about adverse reactions to synthetic insulin;
	(3)  what studies he has (a) commissioned and (b) received on the suitability of synthetic insulin for treatment of diabetes;
	(4)  what steps his Department takes to avail itself of research from a wide range of sources into the safety and suitability of synthetic insulin.

Rosie Winterton: The Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) and its Sub-Committee on Pharmacovigilance (SCOP) have kept the safety of synthetic (human) insulins under close review and have considered the available data on a number of occasions. Most recently in 2002, the SCOP considered the findings of an independent review of controlled clinical trial data by the Cochrane Collaboration. The conclusions of the Cochrane review were that there is no difference in the incidence of adverse events between patients on synthetic insulin compared with patients on animal insulins. The SCOP confirmed its previous advice that there is no clear evidence of safety problem specific to human insulin. However, the issue will be reviewed again should further information become available.
	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) receives reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) via the Yellow Card scheme. The most commonly reported suspected ADRs with both synthetic (human) and animal insulins are disorders of metabolism and nutrition such as hypoglycaemia and hypoglycaemia unawareness, followed by skin and subcutaneous tissue disorder such as injection site reaction. However the reporting of a reaction does not necessarily mean that the drug caused the problem.
	A higher number of suspected ADR reports have been received in association with synthetic insulin through the Yellow Card Scheme, however this may reflect the fact that 80 per cent. of patients with Type 1 Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus are estimated to be receiving synthetic insulin in the United Kingdom.
	Full guidance on prescribing and use of synthetic insulins, including possible side effects, is provided in the product information for prescribes and patients. This includes warnings about the risk of hypoglycaemia unawareness particularly upon transfer from animal insulins to synthetic insulins. Key prescribing information is also included in the British National Formulary, which is sent by the Department to doctors and pharmacists.
	Both human and animal derived insulins are currently available and the MHRA is not aware of any specific plans for the discontinuation of production of animal derived insulins. However, decisions as to the most suitable type of insulin for particular patients are clinical matters and must be made by individual doctors.

Insulin

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will meet representatives of the Insulin Dependent Diabetes Trust to discuss the continued (a) choice between and (b) availability of (i) synthetic and (ii) animal insulin.

Rosie Winterton: I am not aware of any problems with either the choice between or availability of the various types of insulin. I should, however, be interested to have details of the Insulin Dependent Diabetes Trust's concerns and would be happy for them to write to me in the first instance.

Insulin

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he will take to ensure competition in (a) the manufacture of insulin and (b) the manufacture of different types of insulin for treatment of diabetes; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The Department, working closely with other bodies such as the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency and pharmaceutical companies, has arrangements in place to ensure security of supply of medicines.
	In addition the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme aims to:
	secure the provision of safe and effective medicines for the NHS at reasonable prices;
	promote a strong and profitable pharmaceutical industry capable of such sustained research and development expenditure as should lead to the future availability of new and improved medicines;
	encourage the efficient and competitive development and supply of medicines to pharmaceutical markets in this and other countries.
	Finally, the patent system provides considerable incentives for companies to compete in the development of new and innovative medicines.

Learning Disabilities

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been allocated to the provision of services for people with learning disabilities since the publication of the White Paper "Valuing People"; how this funding has been spent; and what funding remains unallocated.

Stephen Ladyman: Over £3 billion a year is spent on health and social care provision for people with learning disabilities. The White Paper, "Valuing People: A New Strategy for Learning Disability for the 21st Century" (Cm 5086), published in March 2001, which set out our proposals for improving services for people with learning disabilities, their families and carers, announced two new funds to support its proposals: the implementation support fund (ISF) from April 2001 and the learning disability development fund (LDDF) from April 2002. Funding has been allocated to support priorities set out in "Valuing People".
	Money from the £2.3 million ISF was fully allocated in both 2001–02 and 2002–03. We expect it to be fully allocated in 2003–04. Funding has been used to support a range of work, including:
	The development and support of advocacy services
	The setting up and support of the national forum of people with learning disabilities and its network of regional forums
	The preparation, publication, and dissemination of good practice guidance on a range of subjects
	The setting up and support of the Learning Disability Telephone Information and Helpline (funded jointly with MENCAP)
	Extension of the learning disability awards framework.
	The LDDF was introduced in April 2002. £2 million of the £22.6 million revenue element available in 2002–03 was used to support the "Valuing People" support team and its related activities. The remainder was distributed to health authorities on a pro-rata basis to be used as agreed through their partnership board, with their partner local authorities to support the following priorities for service change:
	Modernising day centres
	Completing the reprovision of the remaining long-stay hospitals to enable people to move to more appropriate accommodation
	Developing supported living approaches for people with learning disabilities living with older carers
	Promoting the further development of advocacy
	Supporting the wider introduction of person centred planning
	Enhancing leadership in learning disability services.
	In 2003–04, £2 million was again allocated for the "Valuing People" support team, with £21 million being distributed to primary care trusts to be used on the above priorities for service change.
	The capital element of the LDDF comprises £20 million a year to be used on the following priorities:
	Enabling local providers to develop specialist services for people with severe challenging behaviour
	Developing integrated health and social services facilities for children and people with severe disabilities and complex needs
	Developing supported living approaches for people with learning disabilities living with older carers
	Implementing the results of person centred planning for people currently living in national health service campuses.
	In 2002–03, bids were invited from learning disability partnership boards and £16 million of the available £20 million was allocated. In 2003–04, the £20 million capital was allocated direct to strategic health authorities as part of their strategic capital allocations.

London NHS Trusts

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total aggregate cumulative deficit of London NHS trusts was at the end of the most recent financial year for which records are available.

John Hutton: The combined balance sheets of all London national health service trusts at the end of 2002–03 show a net cumulative deficit on the income and expenditure reserve account of £47.7 million. This figure does not necessarily represent liabilities which will need to be settled nor is it an indication of poor financial performance. Changes in accounting policy and the periodic re-valuation of assets over recent years have distorted the apparent financial position of NHS trusts.
	The latest annual accounts for 2002–03 show London NHS trusts made an overall surplus of £4.3 million. All have balanced financial plans for 2003–04.

Market Research

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list each item of market and opinion research commissioned since May 1997 by (a) his Department and (b) agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which his Department is responsible; what the purpose of each item was; and whether the results were published.

Rosie Winterton: A list of research projects carried out by the Department since 1 May 1997 was placed in the Library in July 1999. The list may not include all research projects, as some information was not centrally available. The list has been updated year on year, with the most recent list, for 2002–03, being placed in the Library in July 2003.
	We are committed to consulting and involving the public to help inform both policy formulation and the delivery of better quality and more responsive public services.
	Market or opinion research is commissioned only when it is justified by the needs of the policy programme and is the most economical, efficient and effective way to achieve the purpose.

Medicine Reviews

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list, by primary care trust, the (a) numbers and (b) percentages of patients over 75 who have had their medicines reviewed at least annually in the last three years.

Stephen Ladyman: This information is not collected centrally.

Mental Health

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he proposes to publish the summary of responses to the consultation on the Draft Mental Health Bill.

Rosie Winterton: The Government's response to the consultation will be published prior to introduction of the Bill. It will be available in hard copy and on the Department of Health website.
	At that time, copies of responses will be placed in the Library, except in cases where respondents have asked for confidentiality.

Mersey Regional Ambulance Service

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason no Warrington-based ambulances were available in Warrington during the weekend of 1 and 2 November 2003; and if he will take steps to ensure that Mersey Regional Ambulance Service do not allow this situation to occur again.

Melanie Johnson: The shortfall in the number of Warrington-based ambulances in Warrington during 1 and 2 November 2003 was due to the diversion of blue light admissions from Warrington Hospital accident and emergency department. Ambulances were diverted to other hospitals in the area, which included Manchester and Stoke. This had a direct impact on the length of time taken for ambulances to return to the Warrington area.

Mersey Regional Ambulance Service

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Mersey Regional Ambulance Service has taken to develop an effective internal and external communications strategy as recommended by the Commission for Health Improvement; and if he will place a copy of the strategy in the Library.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 13 November 2003
	In July 2002, the Mersey Regional Ambulance Service appointed a communications manager with considerable senior level experience. A review of both internal and external communications has taken place along with a review of the trusts ability to provide effective communications. The trust is currently drawing up its communications strategy. A copy will be placed in the Library when it is completed.

Mersey Regional Ambulance Service

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Mersey Regional Ambulance Service has taken to arrange with NHS acute trusts locations for ambulance liaison assistants which maintain patient confidentiality.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 13 November 2003
	Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority reports that several initiatives have been taken forward to address this issue. In particular:
	A major redesign of Aintree Hospital included refurbishment work within the ambulance liaison assistants (ALA) area. This is now more accessible for patients and more suited to their needs. This has also involved a redesign of the office furniture and now all telephone conversations are conducted behind a higher level counter;
	During the last 12 months a refurbishment project has been carried out by the Countess of Chester Hospital and this included work in the ALA lounge. Specifically, this involved relocating the patient transport service lounge to make it more accessible and more open plan to create a better environment. Telephone conversations are now held in a much more secure environment behind high level counters;
	Work is also currently ongoing with the Royal Liverpool Hospital. As part of its major entrance redesign, this has included the creation of a purpose built patient discharge and ambulance liaison lounge. This is a confidential environment.
	Furthermore, recognising the need to work more closely with its hospital partners, the Mersey Regional Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust has recently completed a management restructure, which empowers managers to work on a more integrated basis within the health economy to ensure such projects are taken forward.

Mersey Regional Ambulance Service

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures have been put in place by Mersey Regional Ambulance Service to ensure that all crews receive information and training on new vehicles prior to their introduction.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 13 November 2003
	A number of procedures ensure that all staff receive training and information on new vehicles prior to their introduction. These are consistent with the Mersey Regional Ambulance Service national health service trust's health and safety policy and supported by the head of training and development.
	The trust also operates a vehicle working group, which is made up of managers, staff and trade union representatives. This group agrees the format of all new vehicles and equipment as well as the formal training plan to ensure staff receive appropriate training prior to the vehicles being put into service.

Mersey Regional Ambulance Service

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place a copy of Mersey Regional Ambulance Service's child protection policy in the Library.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 13 November 2003
	Following the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) action plan, the Mersey Regional Ambulance Service national health service trust agreed to review its current child protection arrangements.
	A draft policy is awaiting approval by the trust board. The trust is on target to achieve the timescales of the CHI recommendations. A copy will be placed in the Library in due course.

Mersey Regional Ambulance Service

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made by Mersey Regional Ambulance Service in developing a plan for the training of staff in clinical audit skills; and if he will place a copy of the plan in the Library.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 13 November 2003
	Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic health authority reports that the Mersey Regional Ambulance Service is developing a trust-wide training programme for frontline staff in clinical audit skills and will incorporate this into the training and education strategy by December 2003.
	A copy of the programme will be placed in the Library when it is completed.

Midwives

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the average vacancy rate is for midwives in the NHS, broken down by region; what proportion of midwife vacancies have remained vacant for more than three months in (a) England and (b) each region in the last year for which figures are available; which 10 regions of England have the highest vacancy rates; and what these rates are;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effect of the vacancy rate for midwives on decisions by midwives to leave the profession.

John Hutton: Information on the number of vacancies for midwives lasting three months or more is collected in the national health service vacancy survey, information on the number of vacancies lasting less than three months is not collected centrally. The available information is shown in the table by Government regional office area and strategic health authority.
	No assessment has been made on the effect of vacancy rates for midwives on decisions by midwives to leave the profession. The vacancy rate for midwives is comparable with that for the overall nursing work force. Since 1997, the number of midwives employed in the NHS has increased by 860 and the Government will continue to increase the NHS midwifery work force through a range of recruitment and retention initiatives.
	
		Department of Health Vacancies Survey, March 2003—Vacancies in strategic health authority areas and by Government regional office area for qualified midwives—three month vacancy rates, numbers and staff in post
		
			  Qualified midwives 
			  March 2003 September 2002 
			  Three month vacancy rate (percentage) Three month vacancy (number) Staff in post (whole-time equivalent) Staff in post (headcount) 
		
		
			 England 3.1 572 18,119 23,249 
			 East of England 4.1 60 1,630 2,159 
			 Q01 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire strategic HA 0.0 — 672 910 
			 Q02 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire strategic HA 9.1 45 472 605 
			 Q03 Essex strategic HA 3.9 16 486 644 
			  
			 London 7.7 214 2,812 3,601 
			 Q04 North West London strategic HA 4.5 30 633 842 
			 Q05 North Central London strategic HA 10.1 53 498 628 
			 Q06 North East London strategic HA 5.5 31 615 724 
			 Q07 South East London strategic HA 12.2 83 580 769 
			 Q08 South West London strategic HA 4.9 17 487 638 
			  
			 North East 0.8 8 993 1,241 
			 Q09 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear strategic HA 0.3 1 537 675 
			 Q10 County Durham and Tees Valley strategic HA 1.4 6 457 566 
			  
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 2.2 43 1,909 2,321 
			 Q11 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire strategic HA 1.3 7 526 651 
			 Q12 West Yorkshire strategic HA 2.9 26 850 1,021 
			 Q23 South Yorkshire strategic HA 1.8 10 533 649 
			  
			 North West 1.1 33 3,069 3,833 
			 Q13 Cumbria and Lancashire strategic HA 0.3 2 768 985 
			 Q14 Greater Manchester strategic HA 1.4 19 1,310 1,572 
			 Q15 Cheshire and Merseyside strategic HA 1.2 12 991 1,276 
			 South East 4.7 122 2,522 3,414 
			 Q16 Thames Valley strategic HA 2.0 14 722 1,004 
			 Q17 Hampshire and Isle of Wight strategic HA 3.5 20 536 730 
			 Q18 Kent and Medway strategic HA 5.7 30 509 660 
			 Q19 Surrey and Sussex strategic HA 7.2 59 755 1,020 
			  
			 South West 1.6 28 1,785 2,358 
			 Q20 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire strategic HA 2.3 19 827 1,091 
			 Q21 South West Peninsula strategic HA 1.3 8 612 797 
			 Q22 Dorset and Somerset strategic HA 0.3 1 345 470 
			  
			 East Midlands 1.3 17 1,307 1,697 
			 Q24 Trent strategic HA 0.1 1 819 1,053 
			 Q25 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland strategic HA 3.1 16 488 644 
			  
			 West Midlands 2.2 47 2,091 2,625 
			 Q26 Shropshire and Staffordshire strategic HA 1.5 8 508 652 
			 Q27 Birmingham and the Black Country strategic HA 3.7 39 1,010 1,234 
			 Q28 Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire strategic HA 0.0 — 573 739 
		
	
	Three month vacancy notes:
	1. Three month vacancy information is as at 31 March 2003
	2. Three month vacancies are vacancies which Trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole time equivalents)
	3. Three month Vacancy Rates are three month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three month vacancies plus staff in post
	4. Three month Vacancy Rates for non-medical staff are calculated using staff in post from the Vacancy Survey, March 2003
	5. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place
	6. '—' zero
	Staff in post notes:
	1. Staff in post data is from the Non-Medical Workforce Census, September 2002
	2. '—' zero
	General notes:
	1. Vacancy and staff in post numbers are rounded to the nearest whole number
	2. Calculating the vacancy rates using the above data may not equal the actual vacancy rates
	3. Due to rounding, totals may not equal the sum of component parts
	4. Strategic HA figures are based on Trusts, and do not necessarily reflect the geographical provision of healthcare
	Sources:
	Department of Health Vacancies Survey, March 2003
	Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census, September 2002

Mixed Wards

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many wards in NHS hospitals have regularly had patients of both sexes staying at the same time in the last 12 months;
	(2)  on how many occasions over the last 12 months hospitals have admitted a patient into a ward reserved for patients of the opposite sex, broken down by NHS hospital trust.

John Hutton: The Department does not collect information at the level of the individual ward. National health service trusts are required only to report on total patient throughput per annum.

MRI Scans

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the existing capacity for MRI scanning for NHS patients in the (a) public and (b) private sectors; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: Past under-funding of the national health service led to the inadequate provision of essential diagnostic equipment, unevenly distributed across the country. The Government are committed to putting right this under-investment and is providing unprecedented levels of central funding to expand capacity and replace ageing equipment.
	There are currently 207 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners installed in the NHS in England, compared with 110 machines in 1997, representing an 88 per cent. increase in total numbers. By December 2004, this will increase further to approximately 276 MRI scanners, a 150 per cent. increase on 1997.
	There are approximately 60 MRI scanners in private hospitals in England. The private sector is only able to provide a small amount of additional capacity for the NHS. The utilisation of any radiology equipment is dependent on the availability of skilled staff. Both the NHS and private sector use staff from the same work force pool.

MRI Scans

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for MRI scans in England was in each of the last 10 years, broken down by region.

Melanie Johnson: Data on waiting times for diagnostic tests are not collected centrally.

National Service Framework for Children

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures aimed at children with learning disabilities will be included in the national service framework for children.

Stephen Ladyman: A key part of the national service framework for children, young people and maternity services will focus on the needs of disabled children, including those with learning disabilities. This will involve looking at how services can respond to their needs more flexibly and improving the transition to adulthood.

NHS Direct

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the maximum period is which he requires should elapse before NICE guidance is reflected in (a) the advice given by NHS Direct and (b) the content of NHS Direct Online.

Rosie Winterton: When content of National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance requires amendment to National Health Service Clinical Assessment System (CAS) clinical content, the change would normally be made in the next clinical release. Main releases are currently made twice yearly. When the need for change is identified as more urgent than the timetable for the next main release, guidance regarding the change is issued first to all staff by a message system which is part of NHS CAS and this is followed by an interim version release of the clinical content between the main releases. Depending on the timing of release of NICE guidance in relation to the next planned main clinical release, it could otherwise be up to six months before the clinical content was revised. Advice on the urgency of implementing changes is given by the NHS Direct national medical adviser in consultation with the NHS Direct CAS clinical panel. NHS Direct is working with the system supplier to be able to amend clinical content more frequently.
	If someone required information only on a treatment, the situation is as follows. The NICE website is on the recommended list for all NHS Direct call centres. Also, a monthly current awareness bulletin is produced and posted on 'indirect' (NHS Direct's Intranet site) as well as being e-mailed to site information staff (they are encouraged to publicise at sites). This would feature any new NICE guidelines.
	If NICE guidance requires a change to the content of NHS Direct Online, it would usually be updated in their content within 48 hours, although this process can be shortened to within the hour for urgent cases.

NHS Direct

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of calls to NHS Direct were answered within 30 seconds in the most recent 12 month period, broken down by month, for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The percentage of calls to NHS Direct that were answered within 30 seconds for the most recent 12 month period, broken down by month are shown in the table. The overall percentage for the most recent 12 month period is 63 per cent.
	
		
			 Analysis date Percentage(93) 
		
		
			 2002  
			 November 60 
			 December 61 
			   
			 2003  
			 January 70 
			 February 61 
			 March 57 
			 April 55 
			 May 62 
			 June 63 
			 July 64 
			 August 65 
			 September 69 
			 October 67 
		
	
	(93) Percentage of calls answered in 30 seconds

NHS Direct

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many members of staff are employed by NHS Direct; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Currently, all NHS Direct members of staff are employed by their host organisation trust. NHS Direct employs approximately 3,000 (whole time equivalent) members of staff nationally. Of these, around 1,063 are nurses and 543 call handlers. The remaining staff consists of health information advisors, managers, trainers, nurse supervisors and administration staff. Each of the 22 sites for clinical governance purposes employs a medical director (doctor).

NHS Direct

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of the quality of clinical advice provided by NHS Direct to patients.

Rosie Winterton: NHS Direct has a well established record for offering good clinical advice. This was confirmed in the sector report published by the Commission for Health Improvement on 10 November, following its review of 19 out of the 23 NHS Direct sites in England.

NHS Staff

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS employees belong to a trade union; and which ones.

John Hutton: The Department does not hold centrally the number of national health service employees who belong to a trade union.
	The Office for National Statistics produces an estimate for the United Kingdom of the proportion of public sector employees with trade union membership, by industry classification, using data from the Labour Force Survey. The figure for health for autumn 2002 is 62 per cent.

NHS Staff

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff are employed by the NHS in (a) the London borough of Havering and (b) each NHS trust in London.

John Hutton: Information is not collected by London borough. The information shown in the table includes national health service organisations within the London borough of Havering.
	
		Hospital, Public Health Medicine, Community Health Services (HCHS) and General and Personal Medical Services: All NHS staff by organisation -- Numbers (headcount)
		
			 As at 30 September 2002  All NHS staff(94) Medical and dental(94) Non-medical staff(95) GPs(96) 
		
		
			 Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust RF4 6,113 538 5,575 n/a 
			 Havering PCT 5A4 1,061 7 930 124 
			 Royal Free NHS Trust RAL 4,928 538 4,390 n/a 
			 Royal National Orthopaedic NHS Trust RAN 941 87 854 n/a 
			 North Middlesex Hospital NHS Trust RAP 2,302 233 2,069 n/a 
			 Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust RAS 2,884 250 2,634 n/a 
			 North East London Mental Health NHS Trust RAT 1,635 89 1,546 n/a 
			 Kingston Hospital NHS Trust RAX 2,818 324 2,494 n/a 
			 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust RC3 1,585 182 1,403 n/a 
			 West Middlesex University NHS Trust RFW 1,999 198 1,801 n/a 
			 Greenwich Healthcare NHS Trust RG2 2,273 206 2,067 n/a 
			 Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust RG3 2,265 244 2,021 n/a 
			 Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust RGC 2,509 247 2,262 n/a 
			 Queen Mary's, Sidcup NHS Trust RGZ 2,488 218 2,270 n/a 
			 Guys and St. Thomas's NHS Trust RJ1 7,785 936 6,849 n/a 
			 Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust RJ2 2,655 246 2,409 n/a 
			 St. Mary's Hospital NHS Trust RJ5 4,752 564 4,188 n/a 
			 Mayday Health Care NHS Trust RJ6 2,851 275 2,576 n/a 
			 St. George's Group NHS Trust RJ7 5,430 648 4,782 n/a 
			 King's Healthcare NHS Trust RJZ 5,456 920 4,536 n/a 
			 Whittington Hospital NHS Trust RKE 2,115 241 1,874 n/a 
			 West London Mental Health NHS Trust RKL 3,776 194 3,582 n/a 
			 Newham Healthcare NHS Trust RNH 1,684 176 1,508 n/a 
			 Royal Hospital of St. Bartholomew, The Royal London Hospital and London Chest Hospital NHS Trust RNJ 6,873 918 5,955 n/a 
			 Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust RNK 352 42 310 n/a 
			 Great Ormond Street Hospital For Sick Children NHS Trust RP4 2,761 361 2,400 n/a 
			 Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Trust RP6 1,008 187 821 n/a 
			 Oxleas NHS Trust RPG 2,173 97 2,076 n/a 
			 Royal Marsden Hospital NHS Trust RPY 1,789 192 1,597 n/a 
			 Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust ROM 2,652 385 2,267 n/a 
			 Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust RON 5,673 781 4,892 n/a 
			 Homerton Hospital NHS Trust RQX 1,859 215 1,644 n/a 
			 Pathfinder NHS Trust RQY 2,738 245 2,493 n/a 
			 Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust RRP 2,429 163 2,266 n/a 
			 London Ambulance Service NHS Trust RRU 3,630 0 3,630 n/a 
			 University College London Hospitals NHS Trust RRV 5,419 789 4,630 n/a 
			 Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust RT3 2,550 281 2,269 n/a 
			 Brent, Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster Mental Health NHS Trust RV3 2,697 199 2,498 n/a 
			 South London and Maudsley NHS Trust RV5 4,708 462 4,246 n/a 
			 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust RV8 4,398 551 3,847 n/a 
			 Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust RVL 4,036 429 3,607 n/a 
			 Epsom and St. Helier NHS Trust RVR 4,386 462 3,924 n/a 
			 East London and the City Mental Health NHS Trust RWK 2,053 151 1,902 n/a 
			 Camden and Islington Mental Health and Social Care Trust TAF 1,198 103 1,095 n/a 
		
	
	(94) Data excludes medical Hospital Practitioners and medical Clinical Assistants, most of whom are also GPs working part time in hospitals.
	(95) Figures for London based on the Strategic Health Authority Areas Q04 North West London SHA Q05 North Central London SHA, Q06 North East London SHA, Q07 South East London SHA Q08 South West London SHA, and RRU the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust.
	(96) All Practitioners include GMS Unrestricted Principals, PMS Contracted GPs, PMS Salaried GPs, Restricted Principals, Assistants, GP Registrars, Salaried Doctors (Para 52 SFA), PMS Other and GP Retainers.
	n/a—not available
	Sources:
	Department of Health Medical and Dental Workforce Census
	Department of Health Non-medical Workforce Census
	Department of Health General & Personal Medical Services Statistics

Non-medical Staff

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many non-medical staff are employed in (a) each of London's national health service trusts and (b) in the London borough of Havering.

John Hutton: Information on the number of non-medical staff employed in the London borough of Havering is not collected centrally. Information on the number of non-medical staff employed by Havering Primary Care Trust, and in each of London's national health service trusts, is shown in the table.
	
		NHS hospital and community health services: All non-medical staff in the London area by organisation as at 30 September 2002
		
			   Headcount 
		
		
			  
			  
			 5A4 Havering PCT 930 
			 RAL Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust 4,390 
			 RAN Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust 854 
			 RAP North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 2,069 
			 RAS Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust 2,634 
			 RAT North East London Mental Health NHS Trust 1,546 
			 RAX Kingston Hospital NHS Trust 2,494 
			 RC3 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust 1,403 
			 RF4 Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust 5,575 
			 RFW West Middlesex University NHS Trust 1,801 
			 RG2 Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust 2,067 
			 RG3 Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust 2,021 
			 RGC Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust 2,262 
			 RGZ Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust 2,270 
			 RJ1 Guy's and St Thomas1 NHS Trust 6,849 
			 RJ2 Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust 2,409 
			 RJ5 St. Mary's NHS Trust 4,188 
			 RJ6 Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust 2,576 
			 RJ7 St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust 4,782 
			 RJZ King's College Hospital NHS Trust 4,536 
			 RKE Whittington Hospital NHS Trust 1,874 
			 RKL West London Mental Health NHS Trust 3,582 
			 RNH Newham Healthcare NHS Trust 1,508 
			 RNJ Barts and The London NHS Trust 5,955 
			 RNK Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust 310 
			 RP4 Great Ormond Street Hospital For Children NHS Trust 2,400 
			 RP6 Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Trust 821 
			 RPG Oxleas NHS Trust 2,076 
			 RPY Royal Marsden Hospital NHS Trust 1,597 
			 RQM Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust 2,267 
			 RQN Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust 4,892 
			 RQX Homerton University Hospital NHS Trust 1,644 
			 RQY South West London and St. George's Mental Health NHS Trust 2,493 
			 RRP Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust 2,266 
			 RRU London Ambulance Service NHS Trust 3,630 
			 RRV University College London Hospitals NHS Trust 4,630 
			 RT3 Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust 2,269 
			 RV3 Central and North West London Mental Health NHS Trust 2,498 
			 RV5 South London and Maudsley NHS Trust 4,246 
			 RV8 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust 3,847 
			 RVL Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust 3,607 
			 RVR Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust 3,924 
			 RWK East London and The City Mental Health NHS Trust 1,902 
			 TAF Camden and Islington Mental Health and Social Care Trust 1,095 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures for London based on the Strategic Health Authority Areas Q04 North West London SHA, Q05 North Central London SHA, Q06 North East London SHA, Q07 South East London SHA, Q08 South West London SHA, and RRU the London Ambulance Service NHS Trust.
	Source:
	Department of Health Non-medical Workforce Census

Nurses

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses (a) were in training and (b) completed training at Taunton and Somerset NHS Hospital Trust in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: Information on the number of nurses in training or completing training at Taunton and Somerset Hospitals National Health Service Trust is not available centrally. The number of training commissions in the Somerset, Devon and Cornwall area in 2002–03 was 547, an increase of 41 per cent. since 1998–99.
	The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) publishes an annual statistical report, which includes information about the number of nurses registering each year, a requirement for employment in the NHS. This data can be found on the NMC website at www.nmc-uk.org.uk.

Nurses

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses have left the register in each of the last five years.

John Hutton: holding answer 11 November 2003
	The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) publishes an annual statistical report, which includes information about the number of nurses and midwives leaving the register. These data can be found on the NMC's website at: www.nmc-uk.org.uk

Older People

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which hospitals have introduced self-administration schemes for medicines for older people.

Stephen Ladyman: This information is not collected centrally.

Older People

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what analysis he has made of the (a) levels and (b) patterns of services for older people in order to facilitate comparisons across health authorities.

Stephen Ladyman: In July 2002, the Department published its national health service performance ratings and indicators for 2001–02. This compared performance of NHS trusts, also grouped by strategic health authority and, for the first time, primary care organisations.
	The indicator set included several performance indicators relating to services for older people including services following a fall or a stroke.
	The indicators and ratings can be found at www. doh.gov.uk/performanceratings/2002.
	The Department also collects, on a regular basis, performance information relating to targets, including those relating to older people's services, in "Improvement, Expansion and Reform," the 2003–06 priorities and planning document.

Overseas Treatment Scheme

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis patients are selected for the NHS overseas treatment scheme; and who is involved in the making of that decision.

John Hutton: Local national health service trusts determine the process for selecting patients for treatment abroad. However, two key determinants are always addressed:
	The patient is clinically fit to travel
	The patient is clinically fit to be operated on
	In general, in selecting patients for a NHS overseas treatment scheme, acute trusts will review their waiting lists and identify suitable patients who are then contacted to offer patients the choice of travelling for treatment either overseas or in the private sector. Where patients express an interest in treatment abroad, either the local trust or the overseas commissioner (in accordance with local agreement) seeks approval from the patient's general practitioner that they are fit to travel. Before travelling overseas, all patients attend an overseas assessment clinic, run by the overseas clinicians. This allows the overseas clinicians to carry out a pre-operative assessment to determine whether the patient is suitable for surgery and to travel to the overseas hospital.

Performance Targets

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total cost was of (a) setting, (b) monitoring and (c) measuring the performance targets for his Department in 2002–03; and how many and what grades of civil servants monitor these targets.

John Hutton: Performance targets for the Department were agreed as part of Spending Review 2002. The monitoring and measurement of Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets forms part of departmental performance management. Performance management is an integral part of the day to day running of the Department and, as such, it is not possible to separate the specific costs out. The monitoring of progress towards, and performance against, the Department's PSA targets is undertaken by a wide variety of staff at all levels of the organisation.

Performance Targets

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the performance targets that (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies are required to meet; and if he will specify for each target (i) who sets it and (ii) who monitors achievement against it.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Bexhill and Battle (Gregory Barker) on 23 June 2003, Official Report, column 581W.
	The Department of Health Report 2003 provides information on its agencies and non-departmental public bodies. Performance against targets is monitored by the Department, including through meetings between Secretary of State and Ministers and the Chief Executive of the body.

Personal Alarms

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to supply personal alarms to NHS staff.

John Hutton: The decision to supply personal alarms to national health service staff is the responsibility of each individual NHS employing body.
	The Counter Fraud and Security Management Service (CFSMS) was launched in April 2003, with a remit encompassing policy and operational responsibility for the management of security in the NHS. The CFSMS will shortly be publishing a strategy on the management of security in the NHS. From June 2004, a NHS security management manual will be made available to trained and accredited security management specialists in each NHS health body, which will contain advice on the issue of personal alarms to NHS staff and professionals.

Personal Care

Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evaluation he has made of the impact of free personal care in Scotland.

Stephen Ladyman: It is a matter for the Scottish Executive to evaluate the implementation of free personal care in Scotland.

Pharmaceutical Regulations

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to carry out a regulatory impact assessment on the proposals to reform and modernise the NHS (Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 1992.

Rosie Winterton: I refer the hon. Member to the draft regulatory impact assessment and competition assessment at Annex C of our consultation document, "Proposals to reform and modernise the NHS (Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 1992" published on 29 August 2003. This is available on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/pharmacy regulationconsultation.
	Comments on the consultation document and draft assessments can be sent, by 21 November 2003, to Peter Dunlevy, Pharmacy and Prescriptions Branch, Department of Health, Room 155, Richmond House, 79 Whitehall, London SW1A 2NS or e-mailed to peter.dunlevy@doh.gsi.gov.uk. We will publish a final full regulatory impact assessment and competition assessment in due course having analysed all comments received. These assessments will be placed in the Library.

Plastic Bottles

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the safety of plastic bottles for consumption of fluids for (a) babies and (b) the general public;
	(2)  what research he has collated on risks to health of using plastic bottles for feeding babies; and what assessment he has made of the practice in other EU countries.

Melanie Johnson: The composition of plastic bottles used for drinks consumed by babies and the general public is strictly controlled to ensure the safety of foodstuffs contained in them. These controls are harmonised throughout the European Union and they set limits on the migration of substances into foodstuffs to prevent harmful quantities being present.
	The materials used to make plastic bottles for feeding babies are subject to strict controls that have been harmonised throughout the European Union. These controls are based on a detailed assessment of safety data by European scientific experts.

Podiatry

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average time has been that patients have had to wait for podiatry appointments in each primary care trust, in each year since 2001.

John Hutton: This information is not collected centrally.

Premature Babies

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will ensure that premature babies at Guys and St. Thomas' Hospital receiving preventative treatment for respiratory syncytial virus are not discharged without assurance that they will be able to return to the hospital as required to complete their course of treatment;
	(2)  if he will ensure that premature babies at Guys and St. Thomas' Hospital at high risk of contracting respiratory syncytial virus and chronic lung disease do not have their treatment curtailed due to cost cutting requirements;
	(3)  how many paediatric wards were closed to new admissions owing to respiratory syncytial virus infection in the last year for which records are available.

John Hutton: It is the current view of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation that children less than two years of age with severe chronic lung disease and who are on home oxygen during the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) season should receive prophylactic treatment during the respiratory syncytial virus season. I am assured by Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospital National Health Service Trust that it will continue to provide full courses of the prophylactic treatment for these children.
	Information on the number of wards closed to new admissions owing to RSV is not collected centrally.

Proton Therapy

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on proton therapy in the context of the NHS cancer plan.

Melanie Johnson: The NHS Cancer Plan set out our commitment to maintain a modern stock of equipment in the national health service which offers the latest imaging and treatment techniques. We are aware of the benefits proton therapy can offer to the small number of patients with ocular cancer and will keep under review its potential for the treatment of other cancers.

Proton Therapy

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for further investment in proton therapy equipment at the Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology.

Melanie Johnson: There are currently no plans for further investment in proton therapy equipment at Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology.

Public Interest Disclosure Act

Colin Pickthall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's obligations under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 are.

Rosie Winterton: The Department recognises that it has an obligation under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 to ensure that all employees are able to raise matters of concern about malpractice or illegal acts (whether it has been committed or is likely to be committed), such as,
	unlawful conduct;
	a failure to comply with any legal obligation;
	a miscarriage of justice;
	financial malpractice;
	danger to the health and safety of any individual at work;
	damage to the environment; and
	concealing of information in relation to any of the above.
	The Department's employees have been provided with guidance on how to raise their concerns. While employees are encouraged to raise their concerns with their line manager, they can raise their concerns wherever or at whatever level they feel appropriate within the Department. Employees can also raise their concerns to an appropriate authority outside of the Department.
	The Department's guidance clearly states that employees who raise concerns will be protected from discrimination, bullying, harassment or victimisation.

Respiratory Physiotherapy

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which primary care trusts offer (a) pulmonary rehabilitation and (b) domiciliary respiratory physiotherapy; and how many patients are undergoing such treatment in each.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 11 November 2003
	This information is not held centrally. However, a survey carried out earlier this year by the British Lung Foundation and British Thoracic Society found that 160 out of 266 hospitals across the country provide some form of pulmonary rehabilitation to lung patients.
	The National Institute of Clinical Excellence is currently developing a guideline on the management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in primary and secondary care. It is expected that the guideline will be published in February 2004.

Respite Care

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what additional resources the Government made available for respite care since 1997 in (a) the UK, (b) the north west region and (c) St. Helens.

Stephen Ladyman: The Carers Grant was introduced in 1999 to support local councils in arranging short breaks services for carers. It has provided an extra £325 million over five years to increase the number of breaks for carers.
	The Carers Grant allocations since 1999 are shown in the table.
	
		
			  England(£ million) North west region (£) St. Helens(£) 
		
		
			 1999–2000 20 2,719,403 71,679 
			 2000–01 50 6,855,503 177,417 
			 2001–02 70 9,469,014 245,713 
			 2002–03 85 11,451,858 297,557 
			 2003–04 100 14,087,110 393,460

Respite Care

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the Government's policy for the provision of respite care for carers is.

Stephen Ladyman: Carers are entitled to an assessment to determine their needs as carers and eligibility for support including short-term breaks. The Carers Grant, worth £100 million this year, provides money for local councils to provide short breaks and other services for carers to enable them to take a break. The introduction of the short-term break voucher scheme earlier this year provides more choice and flexibility for service users and their carers.

Smear Tests

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of smear tests in England and Wales resulted in women being recalled as a result of inadequate smears in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: The number of inadequate smears that resulted in women being recalled are shown in the table.
	
		
			 Screening year Number of inadequate smears 
		
		
			 1998–99 364,116 
			 1999–2000 379,501 
			 2000–01 359,441 
			 2001–02 367,329 
			 2002–03 357,707 
		
	
	On 22 October, the National Institute of Clinical Excellence recommended that liquid based cytology (LBC) should be introduced across the cervical screening programme in England. LBC is a new method of preparing cervical samples for examination and reduces the likelihood of an inadequate test from one in 10 to one in 100. The Government welcomed the recommendations, which mean that approximately 300,000 women a year will not need to be recalled.

Smear Tests

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of UK women participated in the Pap Screening Programme, broken down by those (a) under 30, (b) 30 to 49, (c) 50 to 59 and (d) 60 to 64 in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: The percentage coverage of the national health service cervical screening programme, broken into age groups and taken from the cervical screening programme statistical bulletin, is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Age range Percentage coverage 
		
		
			 20 to 29 63 
			 30 to 49 82.8 
			 50 to 59 82.3 
			 60 to 64 77.3 
		
	
	Coverage is the proportion of women resident who have had a test with a result at least once in the previous five years.

Smog

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the (a) mortality and (b) morbidity caused by smog in London in the last five years.

Melanie Johnson: No estimates of the impact of air pollution on mortality or morbidity in London have been made.

Smoking

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds are addicted to cigarettes in the UK.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 10 November 2003
	The available data are shown in the table.
	
		Cigarette smoking status among adults aged 16 to 18 by gender, Great Britain, 2001 -- Percentages
		
			 Status Men Women Total 
		
		
			  Current smokers  
			 Less than 10 per day 9 10 10 
			 10 to 19 per day 10 16 13 
			 20 or more per day 2 4 3 
			 Total current smokers 21 30 26 
			 
			 Ex-regular smokers 4 6 5 
			 
			 Never or only occasionallysmoked cigarettes 74 64 69 
			 
			 Base 532 630 1,162 
		
	
	Source:
	ONS General Household Survey, published as "Living in Britain 2001, results from the General Household Survey".

Social Care Bodies

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many administrative staff have been employed by social care bodies (a) directly and (b) indirectly in each of the last six years.

Stephen Ladyman: Figures for the last six years for administrative staff employed by local authorities in central and/or strategic positions in social services are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Number of administrative staff 
		
		
			 1997 16,400 
			 1998 17,300 
			 1999 18,500 
			 2000 19,400 
			 2001 18,800 
			 2002 18,000 
		
	
	These are whole-time equivalents and the figures are as at 30 September in each year. They represent a wide range of staff, including senior directing staff, planning staff, training managers and officers, registration and inspection officers and senior support staff.
	The source of these figures is form SSDS001. This is the annual return of staffing figures provided by local authorities to the Department. The Department does not hold figures on staff employed indirectly by authorities, or employed by the independent sector.

Stroke Units

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to his answer of 27 October 2003, Official Report, column 99W, on stroke, how the stroke units that do not have rehabilitation stroke beds seek to rehabilitate their patients;
	(2)  pursuant to his answers of 27 October 2003, Official Report, column 99W and 23 October 2003, Official Report, column 736W, on strokes, whether he intends that specialist stroke units should have separate acute care and rehabilitation units; and whether a combined unit is sufficient to meet the stroke service target.

Stephen Ladyman: The stroke service model in the national service framework for older people states that an integrated stroke service will involve specialist stroke services providing acute care and rehabilitation. Decisions on how that rehabilitation will be provided are best taken at a local level. Different models of care may emerge, but we anticipate that most trusts will establish a rehabilitation stroke unit.
	The target of all general hospitals that care for people with stroke to have a specialised stroke service by April 2004, as described in the stroke service model, is well on its way to being met. 94 per cent. of the hospitals that provide stroke care now have a specialised stroke service.

Stroke Units

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which general hospitals which care for people who have had strokes have not developed plans to introduce a specialised stroke service from 2004.

Stephen Ladyman: 171 out of 181 hospitals which provide stroke services are planning to meet the target on time. Officials are in discussions with those who may not meet the target and hope to meet them in the near future to identify what central support we can provide to help them achieve the target.

Supported Accommodation

Keith Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what powers a local authority has to place an adult whose family live in that local authority in supported accommodation in another local authority area; and which local authority has the financial responsibility for that adult.

Stephen Ladyman: When a council makes arrangements for an adult to enter residential accommodation under section 21 of the National Assistance Act 1948, the council should make the placement in the most appropriate accommodation to meet the individual's assessed need subject to the National Assistance Act 1948 (Choice of Accommodation) Directions 1992. In doing so the placing council may place the individual in residential accommodation its own area or in the area of another council in England. Generally, no matter where the individual is placed, the placing council retains care management and financial responsibility for the individual for as long as he remains in residential accommodation under section 21.

Waiting List Deaths

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people died while on a waiting list for an operation in each national health service hospital in (a) London and (b) the London borough of Havering in (i) 1995, (ii) 1997, (iii) 1999, (iv) 2001 and (v) 2002.

John Hutton: This information is not held centrally.

Waiting List Deaths

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were waiting for surgery in the London borough of Havering on 31 December (a) 2002, (b) 2001, (c) 2000, (d) 1999, (e) 1998 and (f) 1997.

John Hutton: This information is not held centrally.
	Information for individual trusts and specialties is available on the Department's website at http://www.doh.gov.uk/waitingtimes

Waiting List Deaths

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for health how many people are waiting for an operation in each of the London boroughs.

John Hutton: This information is not collected centrally.
	Information for individual trusts and specialties is available on the Department's website at www. doh.gov.uk/waitingtimes.

Work-related Stress

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of work related stress have been reported in his Department in each of the last three years; how much compensation has been paid to employees; how many work days have been lost due to work related stress, and at what cost, what procedures have been put in place to reduce work related stress, and at what cost; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The Department holds no data on reported cases of work related stress, so we cannot identify costs. Central records on compensation payments do not record work-related stress separately.
	The Department has a number of procedures in place to help managers and staff to be aware of and to reduce work-related stress.
	The Department is committed to its legal obligation to provide a safe working environment for employees and its commitment to meeting targets for reducing the number of working days lost generally due to work related injuries and illness arising from the Government's Revitalising Health and Safety initiative.

Working Time Directive

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact of the Working Time Directive on the NHS; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: The Working Time Directive (WTD) came into force for all staff in the national health service, with the exception of junior doctors in training, in 1998 and has already been effectively implemented. From August 2004, doctors in training will be subject to a limit of 58 hours a week under the WTD. A substantial programme of work is currently under way to support implementation within the NHS in the context of providing safe and effective services. Trusts have been asked to provide action plans for compliance with the Directive in respect of doctors in training by 31 December, to be agreed with their strategic health authorities.

Working Time Directive

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact of the implementation of the European Working Time Directive on (a) hospital waiting times and (b) junior doctor training.

John Hutton: Strategic health authorities (SHAs) are assessing the readiness of trusts to comply with the Working Time Directive (WTD) for doctors in training and continuing to deliver service priorities, including waiting times. Trusts have been asked to provide action plans for compliance with the WTD in respect of doctors in training by 31 December, to be agreed with their SHAs. A substantial programme of work is underway to support implementation and WTD pilots are beginning to demonstrate that the right mix of solutions can be found locally to deliver improved services for patients, fairer working hours and extended opportunities across the work force.
	The pilots are also implementing medical training posts, which are designed to offer doctors suitable programmes of training and achieve WTD compliance. Also, the modernising medical careers programme has been informed by the requirements of the WTD. These initiatives, together with discussions taking place with the Medical Royal Colleges, are designed to ensure that doctors continue to receive the high quality training that they and their patients deserve.

Working Time Directive

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had on the implementation of the European Working Time Directive in the health sector in other EU countries.

John Hutton: Ministers and officials at the Department held discussions with counterparts in other member states throughout the previous negotiation and subsequent implementation of the European Working Time Directive (WTD).
	Further to the recent announcement of a Commission Review of the WTD, which they were required to undertake, we continue to actively engage with fellow member states to ensure that the interests of health workers and the national health service are protected. We expect the Commission to publish their proposals in late November and we continue to work to try and influence the content of this communication.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Abattoirs

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will make a statement on the Government's policy towards small abattoirs;
	(2)  how many slaughterhouse premises have closed in the last 12 months; and what effect this has had on increasing journey times of livestock to slaughter within the United Kingdom.

Ben Bradshaw: Slaughtering of livestock for human consumption is a commercial activity provided in response to the market, and livestock producers are free to choose which abattoirs to use. According to information provided by The Food Standards Agency, 25 red meat abattoirs had their licences terminated in the United Kingdom over the last 12 months.
	The Government support the robust enforcement of rules protecting animal welfare during transport. However, they do not attempt to manage the sector in a dirigiste way, including the numbers and locations of abattoirs.
	As part of the wider Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food, we are working with industry to help secure a network of abattoirs and meat cutting plants including small enterprises. As part of our work, we are finalising data on the structure of the sector and this should help in the further development of strategic policies. We are already encouraging the use of investment grants within the England Rural Development Programme to help improve industry structure, processing and marketing. In addition, we are committing significant resources to the Red Meat Industry Forum and are actively participating in its work to improve the competitiveness of the red meat supply chain.

Agricultural Subsidies

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) UK and (b) other EU countries she estimates would be affected if (i) 300,000 euro, (ii) 250,000 euro and (iii) 200,000 euro limits were placed upon public support for agricultural holdings.

Ben Bradshaw: England would be affected by each of these limits. Questions regarding the payment of direct grants and subsidies in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should be directed to the devolved authorities in Scotland and Wales and the Northern Ireland Administration.
	According to commission figures, in the 2000 EU financial year 11 of the 14 member states excluding Greece would have been affected by each of these limits. Statistics are not available for Greece.

Agricultural Subsidies

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farm holdings in (a) the UK and (b) each member state she estimates would be affected if the EU were to place a 300,000 euro limit on the payment it makes; and how many euros would be held back from agricultural support under such a system.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 23 October 2002, Official Report, column 314W. We have not made an assessment of what funds would be generated in this hypothetical policy scenario.
	According to figures from the European Commission, in the 2000 EU financial year, 11 of the 14 member states excluding Greece would have been affected by each of these limits. Statistics are not available for Greece.

Bechtel

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the contracts for consultancy and other work carried out by Bechtel for agencies responsible to her Department and its predecessor in each year since 1997, stating in each case (a) the nature of the work, (b) the value of the contract and (c) the duration of the contract; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 5 November 2003, Official Report, column 628W. From information held centrally, Defra and its agencies have let no contracts with Bechtel.

Scottish Beef Exports

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much Scottish produced beef has been exported by (a) weight and (b) value in the last five years for which figures are available; and how much of these exports comprised (i) beef of Scottish origin and (ii) beef of foreign origin.

Ben Bradshaw: This is a matter for the Scottish Executive.
	For information, the following table shows UK exports of beef in the last five years.
	
		
			Exports of beef 
			  Tonnes £000 
		
		
			 1998 4,884 12,157 
			 1999 5,647 19,720 
			 2000 5,387 20,983 
			 2001 5,409 18,763 
			 2002 5,318 18,057 
		
	
	Sources:
	HM Customs and Excise
	Data prepared by Statistics (Commodities & Food) Consultancy Trade & IT, ESD, DEFRA

Bovine Tuberculosis

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what arrangements she will put in place to assist dairy farmers affected by herd breakdowns as a result of bovine tuberculosis.

Ben Bradshaw: There are already a number of measures in place to help farmers, including dairy farmers, with herds affected by bovine TB. Compensation is paid at the market rate for all animals slaughtered under TB control measures and in late 2002 we introduced licensed movements of non-reactor cattle on to and off farms under restriction, subject to veterinary risk assessment. In seeking ways to assist farmers dealing with TB, a balance must be struck between reducing the burden on industry and effective disease control.
	We have a wide ranging research programme in place which is seeking, amongst other things, to develop a vaccine for TB, to improve diagnosis of the disease and establish how bovine TB is spread. All farmers are likely to benefit from the outcomes of the research. The bovine TB programme is under review and we will be consulting on proposals for a new long-term strategy, and on short term policy options, around the end of the year.

Bovine Tuberculosis

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of cattle which are awaiting tests to identify bovine tuberculosis.

Ben Bradshaw: At the end of September 2003 there were just over 3,300 cattle herds awaiting bovine tuberculosis tests. Details of the number of overdue herd tests are published each month on the Defra website at
	defra.gov.uk/animalh/tb/stats/index.htm
	The number of individual animals awaiting tests is not available.

Bovine Tuberculosis

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of (a) the funding for and (b) the number of veterinary surgeons which would be required to ensure there was no waiting list for cattle tests to identify bovine tuberculosis.

Ben Bradshaw: In 2002/03 we spent £14 million on TB testing to bring the backlog of 27,000 overdue tests built up during the outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) under control. We expect to spend in the region of £10.3 million on the testing programme in this financial year.
	At the end of September 2003 the number of outstanding herd tests had been reduced to just over 3,300. This is about the same level as that prior to the outbreak of foot and mouth disease. The rolling nature of the testing programme means that herd tests are falling due all the time and we are therefore unlikely to reduce the overdue list to zero.
	We propose to consult on additional testing (pre and post-movement testing and changes to testing frequencies) as part of a short term measures package and are preparing estimates of the veterinary resource input for such proposals.
	We recently consulted on proposals to permit suitably trained and competent non-veterinarians to carry out TB tests. Responses are still being analysed. However, there is no intention in the proposal to require local veterinary practices to use lay testers.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what system she has in place to monitor bovine TB factor compensation payments; and whether her Department collates and publishes the results of monitoring.

Ben Bradshaw: Bovine TB compensation payments are based on the market value of the animals. The valuations are agreed between the Department and the farmer, or between professional valuers working on behalf of the Department and on behalf of farmers.
	A consultation on proposals to rationalise existing compensation arrangements for all notifiable animal diseases is underway. The main aim of that exercise will be to increase transparency and operational simplicity by creating a single approach for all notifiable diseases. In the interim, the Department is considering what can be done to monitor valuers and the level of valuations in recognition of deficiencies in the current system which were highlighted in recent audit reports.
	The Department publishes aggregated data on the numbers of stock slaughtered and compensation paid in Great Britain in the annual report of the Chief Veterinary Officer.

Foxes

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the (a) State Veterinary Service and (b) Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals about the re-homing of captured foxes.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 13 November 2003
	The release of foxes and other wild animals from animal rehabilitation centres is an issue that is being considered as part of our consideration of the proposed Animal Welfare Bill. We hope to be able to propose that animal rehabilitation centres should be licensed and required to operate to a code of practice, including provisions for a code for the release of wild animals. Discussions on the rehabilitation of wild animals have included representatives of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the State Veterinary Service.

Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will reply to the letter of 24 September from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State with responsibility for nature conservation and fisheries.

Ben Bradshaw: I responded to the hon. Member on 6 November 2003.

Crematoria

Janet Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the effect upon the cost of a cremation arising from (a) the cost of installing gas cleaning filtration systems to remove mercury emissions and (b) the need to travel a greater distance to the nearest crematorium if closures take place;
	(2)  what representations she has received about the review being undertaken by the Environment Agency's Local Authority Unit into the Best Available Techniques Not Entailing Excessing Costs for crematoria;
	(3)  what estimate has been made of the cost of fitting gas cleaning filtration systems into crematoria;
	(4)  what estimate has been made of the number of crematoria which would be likely to close if there was a requirement to fit cleaning and filtration systems;
	(5)  what plans she has to conduct (a) quantified and (b) qualified research into mercury emissions from crematoria prior to reaching a decision on whether gas cleaning filtration systems should be fitted;
	(6)  what account she will take on any decision to enforce the fitting of filtration systems into United Kingdom crematoria of trends on levels of mercury emissions;
	(7)  what assessment she has made of the content of the Local Authority Unit report into Best Available Techniques Not Entailing Excessive Costs (BATNEEC) for crematoria; and what representations she has received which disagree with the report's recommendations.

Ben Bradshaw: Estimates of the impacts of controlling mercury from crematoria were contained in a consultation paper the Department issued on 7 May 2003. A summary of the responses to the consultation has been placed on the Defra website at www. defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/crematoria
	The main interim conclusions reached from this consultation exercise are as follows:
	reducing emissions of mercury from crematoria should aim to be achieved without forcing any crematoria closures due to physical constraints such as insufficiency of space or heritage considerations
	a requirement to remove teeth prior to cremation is not acceptable
	the next step should be to explore developing a fair mechanism for reducing emissions from only a proportion of existing crematoria
	any improvements required for existing crematoria should be spread over a number of years
	detailed proposals on the basis of the above will be subject to full consultation in due course
	new crematoria should be required to install mercury abatement.

Dairy Sector

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she is taking to support dairy farmers in (a) Lancashire and (b) the UK.

Ben Bradshaw: Dairy farmers in Lancashire, in common with the rest of the UK, benefit from expenditure on the dairy CAP worth nearly 2 billion euros across the EU15. This expenditure will increase with the introduction of direct payments to dairy farmers from 2004.
	We believe that in the long term the future of the dairy sector is best secured through pursuing the objectives of our Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food. We have made a grant of nearly £0.5 million to the Food Chain and we have supported the establishment of English Food and Farming Partnerships, a new industry led body that has been set up specifically to support and encourage collaborative activity across all agricultural sectors. Furthermore my noble friend Lord Whitty has been chairing meetings of a Dairy Supply Chain Forum made up of senior figures from across the diary sector. This Forum and its sub-groups have been examining ways in which collaborative action can promote supply chain efficiency, and how levels of innovation and new products development might be increased, and considering the likely impact of the CAP reform package on the dairy sector. It also intends to consider the kinds of changes that the sector might need to make to adjust to the new environment created by the reforms.

Dairy Sector

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many dairy firms went out of business in the last year; and what assessment she has made of the causes.

Ben Bradshaw: Data from the Office for National Statistics shows that in 2002, 50 enterprises classified as manufacturers of dairy products were de-registered for VAT. This compares to 525 enterprises under this classification registered for VAT at the end of 2002. Although these figures may be indicative of the number of firms which went out of business, the Government have made no assessment of the reasons for these de-registrations, and it should be noted that de-registration can occur for reasons other than an enterprise ceasing to trade, such as its turnover falling below the VAT threshold.

Dairy Sector

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what arrangements she has put in place to evaluate the effect of the farm gate price of raw milk on average net (a) income and (b) profit of dairy farms in the United Kingdom;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the threshold of the farm gate price of raw milk that would enable dairy farming to be economically viable.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department monitors incomes on dairy farms through the annual Farm Business Survey and also, from time to time, via special studies into the economics of milk production. Incomes for the years ended February 2002 and February 2003 on a range of farm types, including dairy farms, will be published by the Department at the end of this month. Forecast incomes for the year ending February 2004 will be published in January 2004. In regard to economic viability, there are a number of factors that influence economic performance, including milk yield, milk price and efficiency of input use and these all vary from farm to farm. The wide range in economic performance across dairy farms is reflected in the wide range in the break even ex-farm milk price.

Dairy Sector

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the likely effect of the current proposals for Common Agricultural Policy reform on the farm gate price of milk.

Ben Bradshaw: When fully implemented, the reforms agreed in June in Luxembourg will reduce the support price for butter by 10 per cent. more than the 15 per cent. reduction originally agreed for both butter and skimmed milk powder under Agenda 2000 (i.e. a 25 per cent. cut in the support price for butter). If farm gate prices were to fall to the same extent, the price per litre might be reduced by a further 0.95p beyond the impact of Agenda 2000. However, we share the European Commission's assessment that farm gate prices are unlikely to settle at this level: indeed, the overall package of compensation agreed reflects this. (Producers will be compensated through an increase in the level of direct payments of a further 0.74ppl over and above the compensation originally agreed in Agenda 2000.) The figures quoted above are based on an exchange rate of 70p/euro.
	Our economic assessment indicates that decoupling of direct payments from production will have a beneficial effect on farm incomes; we would expect the main dairy-specific price impact to be in relation to the value of milk quota.

Dairy Sector

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the competitive position of the dairy processing industry in each EU member state.

Ben Bradshaw: KPMG, in its report on "Prices and Profitability in the British Dairy Chain", which was commissioned by the Milk Development Council and published earlier this year, found that in 1997 (the most recent year for which UK data was available), apparent labour productivity in the UK dairy processing sector was somewhat below the EU average and significantly lower than in the Netherlands, Ireland, Austria and France. However, there has been significant investment in larger, more efficient, dairy plant in the UK since 1997 and this gap may well have closed.

Dairy Sector

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with (a) supermarkets and (b) dairy farmers regarding the price of milk.

Ben Bradshaw: While the Government share producers' concerns over the low farmgate price of milk, price negotiations between producers and processors, or processors and supermarkets, are a private commercial matter in which the Government cannot and should not get involved, as long as competition rules are respected.
	The Secretary of State has had no formal meetings with representatives of the dairy industry or retailers to discuss milk prices. However, Ministers frequently meet with representatives from all parts of the dairy supply chain and are therefore aware of the issues. Matters affecting the whole dairy supply chain are regularly discussed at the forum chaired by my noble friend Lord Whitty.

Dairy Sector

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the growth of the United Kingdom milk and milk products industry over the next (a) five, (b) 10 and (c) 15 years.

Ben Bradshaw: A study commission by Defra, the Scottish Executive, the National Assembly for Wales and the Department for Agriculture and Rural Development, Northern Ireland by the Centre for Agriculture, Food and Resource Economics at the University of Manchester, which was published in April 2002, concluded that on balance the elimination of dairy market support and milk quotas, together with compensating decoupled direct payments would not result in a significant change in UK milk production. It also concluded that such a reform of the dairy CAP would result in dynamic benefits to the processing sector as it moved from the production of commodity products to value-added products. Nevertheless, this study could not predict and could therefore not consider the actual outcome of the agreement reached on CAP reform in June. Under the umbrella of the Dairy Supply Chain Forum, which is chaired by my noble Friend Lord Whitty, Defra is co-funding with the Milk Development Council and the Dairy Industry Association, supported by the National Farmers Union, a study on the impacts of the agreement on Dairy CAP reform and some of the options available to the UK. Preliminary results for this work should be available in December, with a final report published in January. Once this is complete, we intend to work with the industry through the Forum to consider the long-term implications and the adjustments the sector will need to make to the new environment.

Egg Industry

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what procedures she has put in place to assess the effect of tariff reductions on egg imports on the UK's egg industry.

Ben Bradshaw: There is still a considerable way to go in the WTO negotiations on tariff reductions before consideration can be given to the level of reduction applying to individual products. But we are well aware of the egg industry's concerns and we will do all we can to ensure the most favourable outcome possible for UK producers.

Egg Industry

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what direct subsidies are available to egg producers in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) France and (c) Germany.

Ben Bradshaw: Given that the CAP regime for eggs is a very light one, it does not provide direct subsidies for EU egg producers. Some limited financial assistance is available to the UK egg industry under the England Rural Development Programme and Regional Selective Assistance. We do not hold information on the extent to which other member states make similar assistance available to their egg producers.

Egg Industry

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what conditions producers are required to meet to be licensed to receive export refunds for egg and poultry products; how many licences have been issued to UK farmers; and what level of export refunds are available to licence holders.

Ben Bradshaw: In order to receive export refunds for egg and poultry products the applicant must be registered with the Rural Payments Agency (RPA). Export licences are required where quantities to be exported exceed certain amounts. Applicants for export licences must be natural or legal persons who, at the time applications are made, are able to prove to the satisfaction of the RPA that they have engaged in trade in the egg, or poultry, sector for at least 12 months.
	Within the period of 1 November 2002 and 1 November 2003, 162 egg licences and 395 poultry licences were issued to UK farmers.
	The level of export refund is determined by product (CN) code. Different egg/poultry products will have different product codes and rates of export refund, however for the period 1 November 2002 to 1 November 2003 the highest and lowest rates prevailing were:
	Egg products—lowest 1.70 euros/100gs; highest 75 euros/100kgs
	Poultry Products—lowest 0.80 euros/100kgs; highest 40 euros/100kgs

Egg Industry

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the timetable is for determining whether United Kingdom egg producers may continue to use enriched cages for housing laying hens.

Ben Bradshaw: The future of enriched cages will be reviewed on an EU basis when the Welfare of Laying Hens Directive 99/74/EC is next considered by the Agriculture Council in 2005.

Egg Industry

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the conclusion of the European Union's Agricultural Research Department report that under EU Council directive 99/74/EC on the Welfare of Laying Hens, EU countries will not be able to compete in their home egg market after 2012; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government will consider this report along with other economic assessments in preparation for the review of the Welfare of Laying Hens Directive 99/74/EC in 2005.

Egg Industry

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she has taken to assist UK egg producers to compete in (a) European and (b) world wide markets.

Ben Bradshaw: Subsidies to compete in the EU market would be incompatible with the principles of the Single Market. The EU egg regime provides for some limited export refunds in respect of egg exports to third countries.

Egg Industry

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will press the European Union to bring forward measures to enable EU countries to maintain their market share in the European egg market.

Ben Bradshaw: The UK will continue to play an important role in formulating EU policy in this area.

Egg Industry

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what volume in tonnes of shelled eggs was (a) produced by United Kingdom farms, (b) produced by United Kingdom farms and sold at United Kingdom retail outlets and (c) produced by United Kingdom farms and exported in the last 10 years for which figures are available; and to which countries shelled eggs were exported.

Ben Bradshaw: (a) The following table shows the production of shelled eggs in the United Kingdom for the last 10 years:
	
		UK egg production -- Thousand tonnes
		
			   Of which: For human consumption 
			  Total production of eggs(97) Total Eggs sold in shell Eggs processed 
		
		
			 1993 202 180 158 22 
			 1994 202 179 155 24 
			 1995 199 176 151 26 
			 1996 200 177 150 26 
			 1997 206 181 153 29 
			 1998 206 181 151 30 
			 1999 194 169 138 32 
			 2000 195 170 139 31 
			 2001 209 184 153 31 
			 2002 222 196 164 32 
		
	
	(97) Includes eggs for human consumption, eggs for hatching, hatching eggs for export and waste
	(b) There are no figures available on the volume of United Kingdom production of shelled eggs that is sold at retail outlets in the United Kingdom. However, the following table provides the volume of total UK production for human consumption less exports which will provide an indication of the volume of UK production sold onto the UK market (including retail, catering, food processing and hatching eggs) UK Production of shelled eggs less exports (thousand tonnes).
	
		UK production of shelled eggs less exports
		
			  Thousand tonnes 
		
		
			 1993 191 
			 1994 195 
			 1995 190 
			 1996 192 
			 1997 191 
			 1998 178 
			 1999 181 
			 2000 184 
			 2001 201 
			 2002 212 
		
	
	Note
	Includes table eggs, hatching eggs and other eggs for human consumption
	(c) The following table provides details of shell egg exports over the last 10 years. This will be mainly of UK origin but may include some re-exports of imported eggs.
	
		Tonnes
		
			 Country 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 Irish Republic 2,853 1,868 2,142 4,875 6,529 3,790 3,808 4,896 4,177 4,241 
			 Netherlands 4,052 2,280 2,666 693 5,074 5,407 582 258 184 120 
			 Italy 352 419 713 549 262 3,091 2,054 3,126 260 63 
			 France 216 400 436 398 350 3,235 4,334 900 372 198 
			 Germany 438 373 176 494 1,372 2,334 695 788 684 349 
			 Denmark 57 200 89 79 321 4,191 110 39 23 18 
			 Belgium-Lux 1,690 464 1,518 174 562 191 8 29 41  
			 Spain 204 442 478 276 363 798 484 488 550 591 
			 Saudi Arabia 19 0 0 0   132 271 747 1,612 
			 Bulgaria  2,470  1   
			 Hungary 3 21 9 28 8 422 6 48 167 905 
			 Czech Republic  2 4 19  1,222  11 29 57 
			 U.S.A. 131 177 69 24 8 35 95 136 84 23 
			 Croatia 4 8 4 13 126 285 176 103 19 27 
			 Austria 4 4   31 0   7 572 
			 Turkey  0 5 12   11 4 169 279 
			 Greece  2  3  1   0 331 
			 Others 188 169 278 275 101 202 240 75 94 246 
			 Total figure 10,212 6,828 8,589 7,913 15,105 27,673 12,737 11,174 7,605 9,632 
		
	
	Note
	Please note that figures of 0 are less than 0.5 tonnes.

Egg Industry

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what volume in tonnes of whole egg powder was (a) produced in the United Kingdom, (b) produced in the United Kingdom and sold in United Kingdom retail outlets and (c) produced in the United Kingdom and exported in the last 10 years for which figures are available; and to which countries whole egg powder was exported.

Ben Bradshaw: No figures are available on the production of whole egg powder in the United Kingdom, nor on the volume of egg powder sold through United Kingdom retail outlets.

Egg Industry

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the reasons for the egg production costs in the United Kingdom; and what assessment she has made of the reasons for the primary egg production costs in (a) Poland, (b) the Ukraine and (c) the USA.

Ben Bradshaw: We have made no assessment of the costs of egg production in those countries, but some of this information has been produced by the egg industry. Costs will depend on a number of different factors such as the costs of land and labour, inputs, transport etc.

Fishing Fleet

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what targets she has set for the decommissioning of the UK fishing fleet; and if she will take steps to ensure that the oldest boats and lines constitute the same proportion of boats decommissioned as they do of the entire fleet;
	(2)  whether the UK's decommissioning plans are supported by binary decommissioning of fishing vessels within EU member states;
	(3)  what estimate she has made of the likely number of vessels in the UK fishing fleet in each of the next 10 years;
	(4)  what assessment she has made of the effects on fishing communities of the decommissioning of the UK fishing fleet;
	(5)  what estimate she has made of the cost of a benefits package in relation to decommissioning of the UK fishing fleet;
	(6)  what estimate she has made of the cost of the process of decommissioning the UK fishing fleet;
	(7)  what plans there are for decommissioning fishing fleets in other EU member states;
	(8)  what branches of the Civil Service are covered by paragraph 14(7) of Statutory Instrument 2669.

Ben Bradshaw: The objective of the 2003 decommissioning schemes in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland is to remove 15–20 per cent. of the 2001 effort on cod in the North Sea and west of Scotland fisheries (Northern Ireland have also targeted vessels catching cod in the Irish Sea). We are therefore focusing the schemes on those vessels which spend most time fishing for cod. The age of the vessels is not relevant in that context.
	Other member states will decide for themselves whether a decommissioning scheme is appropriate to their particular circumstances. However the effort control measures that are in place under the Community's 2003 Days at Sea scheme apply to the fleets of all European Union countries fishing in the North Sea and west of Scotland—not simply the UK.
	While the Government are keen to reduce overcapacity within the European fleet, we have set no targets for the future size of the UK fleet.
	We are working with the Regional Development Agencies to ensure that the full range of Government support and regional funding is made available as appropriate to individuals and businesses in fishing communities in order to enable them to deal with the consequences of decommissioning.
	More than £60 million has been made available within the UK for decommissioning and associated financial support in 2003.
	It is for applicants to the schemes to decide the basis for their decommissioning bids, but these may include any anticipated costs of decommissioning e.g scrapyard fees.
	The provisions of the decommissioning scheme in England (as defined in Statutory Instrument 2669) are enforced by the staff of the Department's Sea Fisheries Inspectorate.

Food Standards

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government is taking to ensure that consumer interests are represented on food advisory groups.

Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.
	The expert committees and working parties that advise the Food Standards Agency (FSA), including those committees which also advise the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and/or the Department of Health, all have at least one consumer representative member. The FSA regularly holds meetings with consumer groups to discuss and explain food policy issues and consumer groups are always included in FSA consultations.

Animal By-products

Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department has a database of registered animal by-products approved premises available to enforcement agencies, with particular reference to the Meat Hygiene Service.

Ben Bradshaw: As required by Regulation (EC) 1774/2002 (which lays down health rules concerning animal by-products not intended for human consumption), Defra maintains information on various premises that require approval to be able to operate e.g. pet food plants. This information is available to the Meat Hygiene Service for enforcement purposes and can be obtained from local Defra animal health offices (who issue the approvals).

Import Bans

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on powers to ban importation of foods whose production standards are illegal in this country.

Ben Bradshaw: All consignments of animal products (including meat and fish) imported into the UK from other EU member states must have been produced in accordance with the rules laid down in Community legislation. Imports from third countries must have been produced to standards at least equivalent to those in the legislation. Among other things, the legislation sets out the licensing, structural and veterinary supervision requirements to be applied in production plants and each consignment must be accompanied by appropriate health certification.
	If there is an outbreak of disease or if any other phenomenon occurs which is likely to present a risk to human or animal health, Community legislation allows us to take appropriate safeguard action, which may include a ban on imports of products from all, or parts, of the country concerned.
	Any consignment of animal products imported from third countries are subject to veterinary inspection on entering the EU to ensure that conditions of import have been complied with and to ensure that they have remained in a satisfactory condition during transport. Food not of animal origin imported from countries outside the EU is also subject to routine food safety controls at the point of entry to the UK under imported food legislation. Any products that do not meet appropriate requirements may be rejected and either re-exported or destroyed.
	Food from other EU member states is in free circulation within the EU and is not subject to routine checks at UK ports. Such food can be subject to import checks where there is information to support such action. All imported food, including food from other EU member states, may be inspected at the point of destination in the UK and is subject to the same controls and checks at retail level.

Food Labelling

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the labelling by country of origin of meat sold in the United Kingdom.

Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.
	European Union rules require country of origin labelling for fresh or frozen veal and beef cuts and veal and beef mince sold prepacked or non-prepacked. For other meats, and for processed veal and beef, country of origin need not be given unless failure to do so might mislead a purchaser as to its true origin. Where origin information is given voluntarily it must not be false or misleading.
	The Food Standards Agency has issued guidance notes for industry and enforcement authorities, which emphasise the need to ensure that origin labels are clearly worded to avoid misleading consumers, for example by applying 'British' labelling to products like ham or bacon prepared from imported meat.
	The Government are pressing at EU level for compulsory origin labelling on all meats and some meat products, and for tighter controls on misleading origin declarations. It welcomes the European Commission's identification of rules on origin labelling as one of the key issues to be considered in its current review of EU labelling rules.

Waste Management

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what is being done to assess the impact of the different waste management practices required as a consequence of the (a) Landfill Directive and (b) the Waste Management Strategy.

Elliot Morley: A number of studies looking at the health impacts of different waste management options are being carried out by the Environment Agency. Following recommendations in the Strategy Unit report Waste not, Want not, and the 2002 Pre-Budget Report, the Government commissioned a review of existing literature and evidence of the health and environmental effects of different waste management: options. The first phase of the report has looked at facilities which handle municipal solid waste and waste of a similar nature. This is now being peer reviewed by the Royal Society and is due to be published around the time of the Pre-Budget Report.
	The Government will consider whether there are further research requirements in the light of the conclusions of the Review.

Mobile Telephone Costs

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much she spent on official mobile phone calls in 2002.

Margaret Beckett: Records of itemised phone bills are not kept beyond six months. Usage is fully in accordance with the guidelines set out in the Ministerial Code.

Market Towns

Jack Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessments she has made of the effect of the Government's policy on market towns in (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland since the proposals were published; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: In Summer 2002, 76 out of the 120 towns that were then involved in the Market Towns Initiative (MTI) responded to a questionnaire survey. The findings provided a snapshot of what had been achieved in the first year of the MTI, particularly in four key areas: establishing partnerships; community involvement; getting the best out of the health check, vision and action plan; and project successes. This research note can be found at: http://www.countryside.gov.uk/Publications/articles/crn 60.asp. No specific analysis of any town, district or county was undertaken. However, this year the Countryside Agency is working in partnership with Defra to carry out a more intensive analysis of the problems and achievements arising in the 200+ towns of the Market Towns Initiative. This report is due to be published in May 2004.

Organic Farming/Biotechnology Research

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Government spent in 2001–02 on research into (a) organic farming and (b) biotechnology.

Ben Bradshaw: The table shows Defra spending in the financial year 2001–02 on research into organic farming and biotechnology.
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 Organic farming 2.127 
			 Biotechnology 29.7 
		
	
	Biotechnology is defined as the application of biological organisms, systems and processes to manufacturing and service industries. This definition covers genetic modification (GM) but goes much wider to include fused cell techniques, protein engineering, fermentation and cell culture, production of vaccines and monoclonal antibodies (and many other areas) all of which have applications in conventional agriculture.

Poultry Meat

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what procedures she has put in place to assess the impact of Brazilian turkey imports into the United Kingdom on the UK's turkey producing industry.

Ben Bradshaw: Additional duties can be imposed on poultry meat imports from outside the Community if prices are unrealistically low and are threatening market stability. However, under WTO rules these additional duties can be applied only to a limited number of chicken and turkey products. Action in this area is taken at EU level.
	Earlier this year, the European Commission began investigating industry concerns over the misdescription of basted turkeys as a means of evading proper duties. As part of this, we submitted information on turkey imports into the U.K. Those investigations are continuing.

Poultry Meat

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the volume in tonnes of (a) poultry meat produced in the UK, (b) poultry meat produced in the UK and sold at UK retail outlets and (c) poultry meat produced in the UK and exported overseas was in the last year for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is as follows:
	(a) 1,534 thousand tonnes of poultry meat was produced in the UK in 2002 (the last year for which figures are available).
	(b) There are no figures available on the volume of UK poultry meat that is sold at UK retail outlets. However, the volume of UK production less exports which was 1,320 thousand tonnes in 2002 provides an indication of the volume of UK production sold onto the UK market (including retail, catering and the food processing sector).
	(c) 214 thousand tonnes of poultry meat (carcase weight equivalent) was exported from the UK in 2002 (the last year for which figures are available). This will mainly be of UK origin but may include some re-exports of imported poultry meat.

Poultry Meat

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what mechanisms are in place to ensure that poultry meat imports from (a) the European Union and (b) third country suppliers meet the same (a) quality and (b) health and safety requirements that poultry meat producers in the UK are required to meet;
	(2)  what procedures are in place to assess whether egg products imported to the United Kingdom meet the same quality standards as domestic egg products.

Ben Bradshaw: All consignments of poultry meat and egg products imported into the UK from other EU member states must have been produced in accordance with the requirements laid down in Community legislation. Imports from third countries must have been produced to standards at least equivalent to those in the legislation.
	All consignments of poultry meat and egg products imported into the UK from third countries must enter at designated UK Border Inspection Posts (BIPs) where they are subject to veterinary inspections. All consignments are subject to documentary and identity checks and at least 50 per cent. of consignments undergo physical checks. These ensure import conditions are met and that the products remain in a satisfactory condition during transport.
	In line with Community rules, random spot checks at destination may be carried out on consignments of poultry meat and egg products imported into the UK from other EU member states.

Poultry Meat

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support the Government provides to (a) poultry meat and (b) egg producers.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government do not provide any specific support for either of these sectors. The Government readily acknowledges that both industries have excellent track records of innovation and market orientation. From their perspective, the principal need is for Government to avoid imposing unnecessary burdens or obstacles, while ensuring that environmental and animal health and welfare standards, among others, meet public requirements.

Radioactivity in Food and the Environment

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what liaison took place between the United Kingdom regulatory bodies and the Radiation Protection Institute for Ireland in the production of the report on radioactivity in food and the environment, RIFE 8;
	(2)  when she received the most recent annual report on radioactivity in food and the environment from the regulatory agencies; how members of the public may obtain this report; and if she will make a statement on the key findings of the RIFE 8 report.

Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.
	The Radioactivity in Food and the Environment report (RIFE 8) contains full details of the monitoring of radioactivity in food and the environment undertaken by the Food Standards Agency, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the Environment Agency and the Environment and Heritage Service for Northern Ireland in 2002.
	The report shows that in 2002 radiation doses to the UK public as a result of man-made radioactive discharges to the environment were well below national and international limits.
	The report was published on 29 October and is available in the Library.
	The report was also sent to the Radiation Protection Institute for Ireland (RPII) and its findings will be discussed at the next biannual meeting of the UK Ireland Contact Group on Radioactivity Matters attended by the RPII and the UK regulatory bodies.
	Members of the public may obtain a hardback copy of the report (or an electronic version on CD) by writing to the Food Standards Agency at Aviation House, 125 Kingsway, London WC2B 6NH. The report is free. Copies of the report may also be downloaded from the website of the Food Standards Agency at www. food.gov.uk

Religious Slaughter

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list for each species the total number of animals religiously slaughtered in the United Kingdom for the last year for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: Information on the number of animals and birds slaughtered by religious methods in the United Kingdom is not collected routinely.
	Information on religious slaughter in Great Britain is gathered as part of the Animal Welfare Review (carried out every two years by the Meat Hygiene Service on behalf of Defra), but the Review collects data only on a weekly basis. The latest published Animal Welfare Review contains information on Muslim (Halal) and Jewish (Kosher) slaughter gathered in 2001. The data given in the table were for the period 3 to 9 September 2001 for red meat animals, and for the period 14 to 20 May 2001 for poultry.
	
		
			 Species Halal, stunned prior to slaughter Halal, not stunned prior to slaughter Kosher, stunned prior to slaughter Kosher, not stunned prior to slaughter 
		
		
			 Cattle (including calves) 1,116 0 0 833 
			 Young lambs 54,469 4,028 0 2,277 
			 Other sheep 23,589 7,880 0 0 
			 Goats 120 21 0 0 
			 Broilers 913,997 131,656 0 34,728 
			 Hens 128,408 21,780 0 1,970 
			 Turkeys 0 0 0 637 
			 Ducks 0 36 0 476 
		
	
	Religious slaughter is rarely carried out in Northern Ireland. There have been only a few instances involving a small number of sheep, and all the animals were stunned prior to slaughter.

Religious Slaughter

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what tonnage of animals religiously slaughtered in Britain in the last year for which figures are available was exported overseas; and to which countries.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is not available since there is no requirement for an exporter to supply details of the method of slaughter in order to obtain an export health certificate.

Meat Imports

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Scottish Executive on the impact of the proposed reform of the Common Agricultural Policy on meat imports from South America.

Ben Bradshaw: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and other Defra Ministers, have had frequent discussions with the Scottish Executive on all aspects of CAP reform, but the reform is unlikely to have any direct impact on the level of South American meat imports.

Meat Imports

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with representatives of UK meat producers on the impact of the proposed reform of the Common Agricultural Policy on meat imports from South America.

Ben Bradshaw: Ministers and officials have met regularly with representatives of UK meat producers such as the National Farmers Union and the National Beef Association, to discuss all aspects of CAP reform.

Rural Payments Agency

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what target time has been set for the Rural Payments Agency to reimburse food manufacturers for the additional costs of using EU origin sugar; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: For year 2003–04 the Rural Payments Agency has a target to pay 80 per cent. of all valid non-IACS claims within 28 days of the claims becoming processable and all claims within EU deadlines or in their absence 60 days.
	For the period 1 April 2003 to 12 November 2003 the target has been met. It is anticipated that this level of performance will be maintained throughout the 2003–04 year.

Women in Agriculture

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding is available from the European Union for schemes to help women into agriculture.

Ben Bradshaw: The England Rural Development Programme (ERDP), which is funded by Government and the European Union, provides support for rural areas, by encouraging sustainable rural businesses and thriving communities. It helps farmers and foresters respond better to consumer requirements and become more competitive, diverse, flexible and environmentally responsible. It also provides help to rural businesses and communities which need to adapt and develop. The Programme covers 10 separate schemes which provide new opportunities for farmers and others to protect and improve the countryside, to develop sustainable rural enterprises and to help rural communities to thrive. It is estimated that the Programme will provide £1.6 billion in support between 2000 and 2006. Defra believes the best way to encourage enterprise in rural areas is to provide the right economic framework and, where necessary, to target support measures e.g. rural enterprise and training, towards appropriate people. Awards of ERDP funds are made in line with principles of equal opportunities.

TRANSPORT

Bus Services

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many passengers used bus services in (a) Shrewsbury and Atcham and (b) Shropshire in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: The number of bus passengers is not available for Shrewsbury and Atcham. Information included by Shropshire County Council in its latest Annual Progress Report for its Local Transport Plan showed that there were an estimated 6.3 million local bus passenger journeys in Shropshire in 2001–02, followed by 6.6 million in 2002–03. There is no reliable estimate of bus passenger journeys in Shropshire for earlier years.

Childhood Obesity

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what research his Department has commissioned into the impact of pedestrian strategies on childhood obesity;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with other Departments about implementing a strategy to tackle childhood obesity.

Tony McNulty: My Department has not commissioned specific research on this topic. We are, however, closely involved with the work of the cross-departmental Activity Coordination Team, which is developing a strategy to raise levels of physical activity among both children and adults.
	In addition, on 17 September 2003 we launched, in conjunction with the Department for Education and Skills, an action plan that includes measures to promote healthy and safe travel to school on foot and by bike.

Coastguard (Essex)

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many part-time coastguards were employed by the Essex Coastguard Service on 1 September 2003.

Tony McNulty: On 1 September 2003, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency employed 56 part-time auxiliary coastguards in Essex.

Cycling

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people have died while cycling in London in each of the past 10 years.

Tony McNulty: The following table shows the number of pedal cyclists killed in road accidents in Greater London in each of the last 10 years.
	
		Pedal cyclists killed in road accidents in Greater London
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2002 20 
			 2001 21 
			 2000 14 
			 1999 10 
			 1998 12 
			 1997 12 
			 1996 20 
			 1995 15 
			 1994 15 
			 1993 18 
			 Total 157

Cycling

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to promote safety guidance aimed at young cyclists; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: We have produced a large body of material on cycle safety aimed at younger children promoting the use of cycle helmets as well as other cycle safety messages such as conspicuousness and training. We have also developed a Cycle Sense campaign aimed at teenagers that was launched on 21 May this year. The campaign encourages teenagers to wear cycle helmets and consists of posters and a new Cycle Sense website.

Dangerous Goods Safety Advisers

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost of the Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser Scheme has been in each year since the scheme was established; and how many advisers have been trained in each year.

Tony McNulty: The regulations implementing EU Directive 96/35/EC were made in February 1999 and dangerous goods safety advisers (DGSA) had to be appointed by a qualifying undertaking from 1 January 2000. The Directive does not include a requirement for approved training. Competence is proved by the successful completion of a written examination, which leads to the award of a DGSA certificate. The first certificate was awarded in October 1998.
	The number of certificates issued in each year are as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1998–99 75 
			 1999–2000 2,237 
			 2000–01 1,061 
			 2001–02 389 
			 2002–03 321 
		
	
	The costs of undertaking the approved examinations and the issue of the vocational certificate issuing arrangements are currently £230. This is to undertake a typical examination consisting of the core module, the transport module and the class module. An additional fee of £85 is payable to undertake an additional module or class examination. As there is no formal training required, there are no records of any associated training costs. The level of training necessary will depend on the competence of the candidate.
	The Health and Safety Executive consulted with stakeholders prior to the making of the regulations. In its consultative document, the HSE estimated the quantified costs to society over a 10-year period at between £580 million and £990 million. These costs are incurred by consignors and operators of transport involved with the carriage of dangerous goods by road and rail. These estimated costs have not been updated or verified.

Driving Standards Agency

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the budget of the Driving Standards Agency is in 2003- 04.

Tony McNulty: The DSA is a trading fund and is not given a budget by the Department. The Agency's business plan for 2003–04 plans for an expenditure of some £110 million.

Driving Standards Agency

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many daily (a) telephone calls and (b) website hits were received on average by the Driving Standards Agency from people trying to book a driving test, in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: During the period November 2002 to October 2003, the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) received 6,627,063 calls to the national test booking line. This is approximately 26,000 calls per working day.
	Figures are not available for the number of hits on the Agency's website but, during the same period, some 327,000 theory test bookings were made online. The facility to book practical tests online was introduced last month, and some 7,000 customers have already booked their practical test using this method.

Driving Standards Agency

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average waiting time for booking a driving test, broken down by area, was in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: For the period November 2002 to October 2003, the waiting times for a driving test in each of the Driving Standards Agency's five areas were:
	
		Weeks
		
			 Categoryof test London Midlands and Eastern Wales and Western Northern Scotland 
		
		
			 Car 9.9 9.6 7.6 9.8 6.9 
			 Motorcycle 3.1 3.8 2.5 3.8 2.1 
			 Lorry/bus 3.6 4.6 2.8 4.8 3.6

Driving Standards Agency

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people have (a) taken and (b) passed a driving test in each of the last six years.

Tony McNulty: In the last six years the number of people taking and passing practical driving tests, and pass rates, were:
	
		
			  1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Tests taken 1,202,147 1,334,829 1,274,381 1,241,364 1,346,656 1,510,018 
			 Tests passed 579,689 634,308 583,960 570,415 605,205 675,617 
			 Pass rate (percentage) 48.22 47.52 45.82 45.95 44.94 44.74

Driving Standards Agency

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many driving test examiners have been employed in each of the last six years, expressed as (a) head count and (b) full-time equivalents.

Tony McNulty: For the last five years for which data are readily available, the average number of driving examiners employed by the Driving Standards Agency each month was:
	
		
			  1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 (to October) 
		
		
			 Headcount 1,261.05 1,271.08 1,313.06 1,391.25 1,493.05 
			 Full-time equivalent 1,257.23 1,268.07 1,311.34 1,388.84 1,488.14 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures before 1999 are not held.

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will press the DVLA to include a contact telephone number on their envelopes.

David Jamieson: I am currently content that the arrangements in place at DVLA are satisfactory and I would be concerned that the inclusion of the DVLA phone number on the envelope could potentially compromise the secure delivery of valuable documents.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the dates of meetings of (a) the EU Committee for the implementation of the Community framework for co-operation in the field of accidental or deliberate marine pollution, (b) the EU Committee on application of the legislation on access to the groundhandling market at Community airports and (c) the EU Technical Adaptation Committee on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at work during the Danish and Greek presidencies; what items were on each agenda; what representative of the Scottish Executive was present on each occasion; what preparatory meetings were held for each meeting; which officials were present at each preparatory meeting; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The information is as follows:
	(a) During the period in question, this Committee met on 14 March 2003. It typically meets twice a year. Its agenda focuses on a five-year rolling programme of work in the field of pollution prevention and control.
	(b) There were no meetings of this Committee during the period in question.
	(c) UK involvement in this Committee is not the responsibility of the Department for Transport.
	UK officials consult widely and the views of the Devolved Administrations, including the Scottish Executive, are fully reflected at Committee meetings. Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information covering internal discussion and advice applies.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the dates of meetings of (a) the EU Committee on application of the legislation on the minimum level of training for seafarers and the recognition of certificates issued by training institutes or administration of third countries and (b) the EU Committee for the adaptation to technical progress of recording equipment in road transport (tachographs) during the Danish and Greek presidencies; what items were on each agenda; what representative of the Scottish Executive was present on each occasion; what preparatory meetings were held for each meeting; which officials were present at each preparatory meeting; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The information is as follows:
	
		(a) Minimum level of training of seafarers and the recognition of certificates issued by training institutes or administration of third countries
		
			 Date Agenda Attendees 
		
		
			 22 October 2002 High-level meeting with representatives of the member states and EEA countries.1—To exchange views on the proposal for review of the Directive 2001/25 MCA officials 
			 6 February 2003 Shipping Working Party1—To discuss the text of the proposed amendments to the Directive 2001/25 MCA, officials, UK permanent representative and Department for Transport (DfT) officials 
			 12 February 2003 Shipping Working Party1—To discuss the text of the proposed amendments to the Directive 2001/25 MCA officials, UK permanent representative and DfT officials 
			 4 March 2003 Shipping Working Party1—To discuss the text of the proposed amendments to the Directive 2001/25 MCA officials, UK permanent representative and DfT officials 
		
	
	(b) The EU Committee for the adaptation to technical progress of recording equipment in road transport (tachographs) during the Danish and Greek presidencies.
	The Committee has met only once in the last 12 months, on 26 June 2003, under the Greek presidency. The Committee considered and approved editorial amendments to the technical specification to Commission Regulation (EC) 1360/2002, adapting to technical progress to Council Regulation (EEC) 3821/85 on recording equipment in road transport (digital tachographs). These amendments were subsequently published as a corrigendum to that regulation. There are currently no plans for further meetings.
	For both these Committees, Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information covering internal discussion and advice applies.
	UK officials consult widely and the views of the Devolved Administrations, including the Scottish Executive are fully reflected at Committee meetings.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the EU Committee on the reciprocal recognition of national boatmasters' certificates for the carriage of goods and passengers by inland waterway met during the Danish and Greek presidencies; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: This Committee did not meet during the period in question.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the dates of meetings of (a) the EU Committee for the adaptation to technical progress of roadworthiness tests of vehicles, (b) the EU Standing Committee for Implementation of the Directive on Marketing of Biological Products and (c) the EU Scientific Committee for occupational exposure limits to chemical agents during the Danish and Greek presidencies; what items were on each agenda; what representative of the Scottish Executive was present on each occasion; what preparatory meetings were held for each meeting; which officials were present at each preparatory meeting; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The information is as follows:
	(a) There was one meeting only of this Committee during the relevant period. It was on 3 to 4 December 2002. It discussed Directives on Vehicle Emissions and Registration of vehicles. It also discussed developments on a regulatory standard on roadworthiness testing and the results of an emissions research study during the period.
	(b) and (c) UK involvement in these Committees is not the responsibility of the Department for Transport.
	UK officials consult widely and the views of the Devolved Administrations, including the Scottish Executive, are fully reflected at Committee meetings. Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information covering internal discussion and advice applies.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the dates of meetings of the European Energy and Transport Forum during the Danish and Greek presidencies; what items were on each agenda; what representative of the Scottish Executive was present on each occasion; what preparatory meetings were held for each meeting; which officials were present at each preparatory meeting; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: During the period in question, the European Energy and Transport Forum met in plenary session on 8 October 2002 (inaugural meeting), 21 January 2003 and 27 June 2003. Trans-European transport networks, interoperability of road toll collection systems and infrastructure charging were its principal topics of discussion at these meetings.
	UK officials consult widely and the views of the Devolved Administrations, including the Scottish Executive, are fully reflected at Committee meetings. Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information covering internal discussion and advice applies.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the dates and locations of meetings of (a) the EU Committee for granting Community aid in the field of trans-European networks on transport, (b) the EU Committee on the Development of trans-Europe Transport Networks and (c) the EU Committee on the adaptation to scientific and technical progress of legislation concerning the transport of dangerous goods during the Danish and Greek presidencies; what items were on each agenda; what representative of the Scottish Executive was present on each occasion; what preparatory meetings were held for each meeting; which officials were present on each occasion; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is as follows.
	(a) The EU Committee for granting Community aid in the field of trans-European networks on transport met once during the period on 30 June 2003 in Brussels. The agenda comprised issues regarding the financing of the network and the projects of common interest on it.
	(b) The EU Committee on the Development of trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T) met three times during the period, on 26 November 2002, 4 March 2003 and 3 June 2003 in Brussels. The agenda comprised items regarding progress towards completion of the TEN-T and its further development.
	(c) The EU Committee on the adaptation to scientific and technical progress of legislation concerning the transport of dangerous goods met on 9 December 2002 and 4 June 2003 during the period in question. It typically meets twice a year. The Committee discussed derogations and modifications of the annexes to three Directives on the transport of dangerous goods. They also discussed security measures for the transport of dangerous goods and the date of implementation of the transportable pressure equipment Directive and the work of the Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods.
	UK officials consult widely and the views of the Devolved Administrations, including the Scottish Executive, are fully reflected at Committee meetings. Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information covering internal discussion and advice applies.

Heathrow Airport

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect on regional economies of a third runway at Heathrow Airport.

Tony McNulty: The assessment of additional capacity options is based on direct benefits to passengers from allowing more people to fly and giving passengers a greater choice of timings and routes. No assessment has been made of the wider economic benefits including those to regional economies of additional airport capacity, though some of these will be captured in the direct benefits, particularly to business passengers.

M6 Toll Road

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the M6 toll road will become operational.

Tony McNulty: The M6 Toll road is being developed by Midland Expressway Ltd. The Department is expecting them to make an announcement on the road opening date shortly.

MOT Computerisation

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost was at today's prices of the contract with Siemens Business Services to run the MOT computerisation programme; when this contract was awarded; how much has been spent to date; and how much will have been spent by the time the system is operational.

Tony McNulty: The cost of the contract with Siemens Business Services (SBS) to run the computerised MOT service is £1.07 per test at today's prices. SBS have been paid nothing so far and will not receive any transaction payments until the first MOT stations are computerised.
	The MOT Computerisation Contract was awarded in 2000. Expenditure to end of 2002–03 on managing and delivering VOSA's contracted products is £8.4 million and the forecast spend from April 2003 until roll-out in May 2004 is £9.6 million.

MOT Computerisation

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the progress of the MOT computerisation programme; and what assessment (a) has been conducted and (b) is planned of the (i) success and (ii) value for money of its implementation.

Tony McNulty: Siemens Business Services (SBS) activity since the MOT Computerisation Contract was awarded has included design, development and testing of hardware and software needed to supply the service, and they are close to concluding their testing of the system functionality. VOSA is due to begin its trials of the new service in December 2003.
	Treasury Task Force commissioned a full review of the project in January 2000 before the contract was awarded. The review concluded that the project had a high probability of success. A further review of progress by an Office of Government Commerce independent expert was conducted in July 2002. This review concluded that an amended contract, then being negotiated, should ensure the first MOT stations would be computerised by mid-February 2004.
	A third independent review of progress now under way will report by 20 November 2003.
	A readiness-for-service review, to be conducted at the end of VOSA trials, will confirm the viability of the business case and that the services and users are ready for go-live. This review will also cover value-for-money set out in the business case and approved by HM Treasury.

MOT Computerisation

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the timetable was for the introduction of the MOT computerisation programme when the contract with Siemens Business Services to run the system was awarded; and what it is now.

Tony McNulty: The original contracted date for the first MOT stations to be computerised was May 2002. The earliest likely date for implementation is now mid-May 2004.

Railway Maintenance

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent on clearing railway lines of litter in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: This is an operational matter for Network Rail. Responsibility for clearing railway lines of litter usually forms part of Network Rail infrastructure maintenance contracts and as such there is no specific budget, rather spending on litter clearance is subsumed into the general maintenance budgets.

Railway Maintenance

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many trees have been (a) planted and (b) felled on rail embankments in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: This is an operational matter for Network Rail who are responsible for the maintenance of over 20,000 miles of track in the UK much of which requires the management of vegetation. Detailed figures of the number of trees planted or felled are not available.

Rail Services

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the performance against target was for (a) reliability, (b) punctuality and (c) safety of rail services between Shrewsbury and (i) Wolverhampton, (ii) Hereford, (iii) Chester and (iv) Aberystwyth in the last year for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: The Strategic Rail Authority publishes performance information in its six monthly "On Track" publication, copies of which are placed in the Library of the House. Information is provided for the services of each operator in aggregate, not by specific routes. There is no single performance measurement or target for 'safety'.

Rail Services

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the line from Weaver Junction to Liverpool Lime Street will be modernised to enable trains to run at 125 mph.

Tony McNulty: The Strategic Rail Authority's "West Coast Main Line Strategy", published in June 2003, envisages that the modernisation of the line from London to Crewe will be completed in autumn 2004 and the Crewe-Weaver Junction-Liverpool section in summer 2005, including sections with a maximum line speed of 125mph. With the introduction of 125-mph trains, journey times between London and Liverpool will be substantially reduced from autumn 2004.

Roadworks

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of how many roadwork cones are (a) accidentally destroyed and (b) stolen in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: Figures for the number of cones accidentally destroyed or stolen are not recorded.

Roadworks

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pedestrians were injured in accidental falls into holes dug as a result of roadworks in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: The Highways Agency has no record of any pedestrian being injured in accidental falls into holes dug as a result of roadworks on its roads, in any of the last five years.
	My Department does not hold figures centrally for local authority roads.

Road Schemes

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has undertaken into the environmental effects of proposals by Norfolk County Council to build a road through the Ringland Valley.

David Jamieson: None. Options for a Northern Distributor Road form part of a review of the Norwich Area Transport Strategy currently being undertaken by Norfolk County Council. It has not taken a decision in principle on the need for the road and so there have been no proposals put forward for assessment by the Secretary of State.

Vehicles (Tinted Windows)

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what response he has made to the concerns represented by the Glass and Glazing Federation about the impact on the owners of vehicles with lightly tinted windows of proposed amendments to Regulation 32 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations.

David Jamieson: Officials have already met with representatives from the Glass and Glazing Federation and have fully answered their concerns.

Vehicles (Tinted Windows)

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will issue guidance on how the proposed amendments to Regulation 32 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations should be enforced in respect of existing vehicles already fitted with (a) lightly and (b) heavily tinted windows.

David Jamieson: Guidelines have already been issued to the Department's own enforcement staff in the Vehicle Operator Services Agency. These guidelines have been copied for information to the police.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further measures are planned to help combat opium production in Afghanistan.

Bill Rammell: The UK is the lead nation on Counter Narcotics (CN) in Afghanistan and has a PSA target to contribute to a reduction in poppy cultivation in Afghanistan by 70 per cent. in five years with elimination in 10 years. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the UK are working closely with the Afghan Transitional Administration to help them implement their National Drug Control Strategy.
	The UK has developed a plan of activities to support the Afghan authorities in implementing their Strategy, including law enforcement, institution building, drugs demand reduction and alternative livelihoods for poppy farmers.
	As the lead nation, the UK has committed £70 million over three years and posted additional personnel to Afghanistan to lead this work. It is also planned to hold a counter-narcotics conference in February 2004 in Kabul, involving Afghan and international representation, to encourage further international support for the delivery of the Afghan strategy. I will co-host this with President Karzai.

Ascension Island

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  when he next plans to make an official visit to Ascension Island; and for what purpose;
	(2)  if he will meet the hon. Members for (a) Totnes, (b) Vale of Glamorgan and (c) Cheltenham to discuss St. Helena before his departure to Ascension Island.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no plans to visit Ascension Island in the near future.
	However, I will pay a short visit to Ascension Island during a brief stop-over on the way to the Falkland Islands on 26 November 2003. During this visit I have no plans to meet the Legislative Council of St Helena, but will meet the Island Council of Ascension.
	The Foreign Secretary has no plans to meet with the hon. Member for Totnes, my hon. Friend the Member for Vale of Glamorgan (Mr. Smith), and with the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Mr. Jones) to discuss St. Helena. However, I shall meet with them before my visit to discuss St. Helena and Ascension Island.

Embassy Closures

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British embassies (a) have closed and (b) are expected to close in financial year 2003–04.

Bill Rammell: 1 refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Banbury (Tony Baldry) on 6 October 2003, Official Report, column 1112W.

Embassy Closures

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many foreign embassies in the United Kingdom (a) have closed and (b) are expected to close in financial year 2003–04.

Jack Straw: To date, no foreign diplomatic missions have closed in the United Kingdom in financial year 2003–04.
	The Seychelles Government have informed us of their intention to close their High Commission in London on 31 December 2003.

Colombia

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what monitoring takes place to ensure that military aid to Colombia does not indirectly support paramilitary action against civilians.

Bill Rammell: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Ministry of Defence gave on 10 November 2003, Official Report, columns 46–47W.

Community Liaison Unit

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the work of the Community Liaison Unit.

Chris Mullin: The Community Liaison Unit (CLU) is based in the Human Rights Section of Consular Directorate in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. It provides assistance to British Nationals in danger of a forced marriage overseas.
	The CLU covers three main areas of work:
	Casework:
	Since the establishment of the CLU in October 2000, staff have dealt with over 600 cases of young British Nationals fearing or escaping from a forced marriage overseas. Forced marriage is a serious human rights abuse and is not sanctioned by any religion or culture. It is quite different from an arranged marriage, in which the parties give their full and free consent. The CLU has dealt with victims, male and female, aged between 11 and 39, and from a wide range of backgrounds including Sikh, Hindu, Catholic and Muslim to date.
	Public sector guidance:
	The CLU also works with other Government Departments to develop guidance for public sector services that may come into contact with forced marriage cases. To date the CLU has developed a video for schools, guidelines for police and are currently awaiting clearance on guidelines for social services. They have also provided support to link UK and foreign police services tackling some of these issues.
	Outreach:
	The CLU also work in the UK with NGOs, refuges, community groups, public sector, and faith groups to raise awareness of the issue and the help available to victims. Overseas, the CLU and posts (Embassies and High Commissions) work with partners in the judiciary, police and NGO community.
	The Community Liaison Unit also worked in partnership with the British Muslim community from 2000–03 to organise the British Hajj Delegation to Mecca. Responsibility for the Hajj Delegation has now moved to the Middle East Assistance section of Consular Directorate. This section deals with consular assistance to distressed British Nationals in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, which means they are better placed to offer assistance to British Hajjis.

Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reasons the letter dated 14 October from the hon. Member for Walsall, North, Home Office ref: PO15398/3 concerning an immigration appeal was sent to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; when the letter was transferred; and for what reasons an immigration appeals matter was sent to the Foreign Office.

Chris Mullin: My hon. Friend's letter dated 14 October was transferred to UKvisas, the department responsible for entry clearance matters overseas, as the appeal related to a refusal of entry clearance. At the time of receipt of my hon. Friend's letter, the appeal did not show on Home Office records. The letter was therefore transferred to UKvisas by the Home Office on 4 November so that further enquiries could be conducted with our High Commission in New Delhi.
	I will write to my hon. Friend in the next few days on this case.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken to encourage British firms to trade with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mike O'Brien: UK Trade and Investment does not pursue an active programme to encourage British firms to trade with the Democratic Republic of Congo but it does provide information and advice to UK companies wishing to trade there, with particular emphasis on the mining sector.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Chris Mullin: Encouraging progress is being made in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Transitional National Government (TNG) in Kinshasa is functioning. Welcome moves have been made recently to improve the DRC's relations with Rwanda and Uganda. The TNG now provides the Congolese people with a real opportunity to end the cycle of violence and human rights abuses and start on the path to democracy and development.
	Pockets of fighting remain, particularly in the east of the country. We are concerned by recent clashes between "Mai-Mai" and forces of the former Forces Armées Rwandaises/lnterahamwe in eastern DRC. We welcome and support efforts by the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUC)—acting under their new Chapter VII mandate as authorised by UN Security Council Resolution 1493 (2003)—to tackle this problem.
	In the north-eastern district of Ituri, MONUC's Ituri Brigade have responded robustly and effectively to outbreaks of violence and are now establishing themselves outside the regional capital of Bunia.

EU Constitution

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what amendments the Government will seek to make to article (a) I-14, (b) III-62 (2) and (c) III-63 of the draft EU Constitution; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether the Government is seeking an explicit rejection of (a) further tax harmonisation and (b) a federal fiscal policy in the European Union in the draft EU Constitution; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: The Government set out their approach to the Intergovernmental Conference in the White Paper, "A Constitutional Treaty for the EU: The British Approach to the European Union Intergovernmental Conference."
	As the Government make clear in the White Paper, they will oppose proposals which might lead to unnecessary rigidities or undermine the central role of member states in determining their economic policies. They will work to ensure outcomes that will bolster stability, promote flexibility and enhance the ability of European countries to raise productivity and employment levels.
	The Government also believe that the right of member states to determine their own tax policies is a fundamental one. Tax matters are a key component of national sovereignty and vital to the social and economic well-being of the country. That is why, in the IGC, the Government will insist that tax matters continue to be decided by unanimity.

EU Constitution

Bob Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy regarding the energy chapter of the proposed European Union constitution as it affects the UK offshore oil and gas industry.

Denis MacShane: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle upon Tyne, East and Wallsend (Mr. Brown) on 11 November 2003, Official Report, column 204W.

Council of Ministers

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 1 September 2003, Official Report, columns 796–97W, on the European Council of Ministers, what items were on the agenda for the Gymnich Informal Meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs on (a) 1 September 2002, (b) 9 to 10 February 2002 and (c) 2 to 4 May 2003; when the agenda for each was received by his Department; whether the agenda was forwarded to the Scottish Executive; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: The Gymnich Informal Meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs can take in all the key policy issues of the day, as well as broader strategic issues. The last four meetings have addressed inter alia such issues as: enlargement, wider Europe, counter proliferation, Middle East Peace Process, Western Balkans, ESDP and Iraq.
	The Gymnich offers Foreign Ministers an opportunity to discuss broad policy themes in an informal setting. The nature of the Gymnich means that there is no formal agenda. The Gymnich does not form conclusions or take decisions. Items to be discussed are set out in a letter from the Foreign Minister of the country holding the Presidency to his colleagues. However, the issues actually discussed at the Gymnich often vary from the preliminary suggestions in this letter.
	We usually receive the Presidency's letter about two weeks before the Gymnich. The letter is not a document, which is automatically forwarded to the Scottish Executive. However here, as elsewhere, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is alert to the need to consult the Scottish Executive on issues which touch on devolved areas in Scotland (including non-devolved matters which will have a distinctive impact of importance in Scotland) in line with the Concordat between HMG and the Scottish Executive.

India

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the UK's relationship with India.

Mike O'Brien: Bilateral relations have steadily strengthened over recent years. Our relationship with the Indian government is now closer than it has been for a long time across a broad range of policy areas. UK development assistance will increase to £250 million in 2004–05. We are encouraging closer education links between the UK and India, including through a substantial British Council programme. And there has been a marked increase in bilateral trade to 5 billion in 2001. The large British community of Indian origin plays a very important part in maintaining and developing the UK's relationship with India.

Indonesia

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many United Kingdom citizens were affected by the flash floods in the Gunung Leuser national park on Sumatra Island, Indonesia on 3 November; how many United Kingdom citizens have been identified as (a) missing, (b) injured and (c) killed; what assistance the Government has offered the Government of Indonesia in their search and rescue operations; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mullin: There are no reports of any British Nationals missing, injured or killed following the floods in the Gunung Leuser national park in Northern Sumatra. Our Consul-General went to Medan from 4 to 6 November and together with the Honorary Consul, visited the site, and checked with police, hospitals and mortuaries. We remain in close contact with the local authorities. Our Rapid Deployment Team was put on standby to help but was not, in the end, required.
	The Indonesian Government has announced an assistance package of 1 billion Indonesian Rupiahs (£70,420) for reconstruction and relocation of displaced people. They have not sought any international assistance.

Indonesia

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the impact the imposition of martial law in Aceh on 15 May has had on (a) civil rights and (b) media freedom in the area; when this was raised with (i) the head of the Aceh Martial Law Administration, (ii) President Megawati Sukarnoputri and (iii) representatives of the Government of Indonesia; what assurances were (A) requested and (B) received; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: We remain concerned about the situation in Aceh. Most recently, I met the Indonesian ambassador on Monday 10 November and raised our concerns about the extension of martial law, and the Indonesian Government's recent decision not to allow the Tokyo Group (EU, Japan, US and the World Bank) to visit Aceh. Our ambassador to Indonesia wrote to the Indonesian Government in August 2003 requesting that NGOs be granted permission to return to Aceh. When I visited Indonesia on 3–4 June 2003, I stressed to President Megawati that Indonesian military action in Aceh should be proportionate and in accordance with international standards on human rights. We have not approached the head of the Aceh Martial Law Administration as our concerns about the situation in Aceh are raised through Indonesian Central Government. Some media have recently been granted permission to gain access to Aceh to report on the situation there. NGOs have not yet been granted permission to return to Aceh.
	We, with our EU partners, urged the Indonesian Government to protect non-combatants in the on-going operations in Aceh, and to pursue a peaceful negotiated solution to the conflict. We remain convinced that a long-term solution to the Aceh problem can be achieved only through political negotiation and consultation between the Indonesian Government and the Acehenese people.

Indonesia

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with (a) President Megawati Sukarnoputri, (b) representatives of the Government of Indonesia, (c) UK-based non-governmental organisations and (d) local non-governmental organisations concerning the extension of the state of martial law in Aceh; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: On 6 November the Tokyo Group (EU, Japan, United States and the World Bank), which co-chaired the preparatory Conference on peace and reconstruction in Aceh, issued a statement to the Indonesian Government expressing their concern at the extension of martial law in Aceh. I met the Indonesian ambassador on Monday 10 November and also reiterated our, and the international community's, concerns about the extension of martial law. The UK continues to work through NGOs and the UN to provide assistance to the people of Aceh.
	We with our EU partners, continue to urge the Indonesian Government to return to the negotiating table as soon as possible, as only political negotiation will offer a long term solution to this ongoing conflict. We stand ready to assist both sides in this process wherever appropriate.

International Terrorism

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are making to prevent links being formed between the Irish Republican Army and other international terrorist and guerrilla organisations.

Denis MacShane: UK authorities co-operate with their international partners both bilaterally and through international fora to combat all forms of terrorism.

Iran

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will undertake further joint initiatives with the foreign ministers of France and Germany with regard to relations with Iran.

Bill Rammell: We will continue to work with like-minded governments in any combination required to impress on Iran the need to co-operate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency and to rebuild international confidence in Iran's intentions. Following the visit to Tehran last month by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and his French and German counterparts, the onus now lies on Iran to deliver on its commitments. We are also calling on Iran to address international concerns on human rights, international terrorism and support for the Middle East Peace Process.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the occupying powers are taking to ensure access to safe, legal pregnancy termination services in Iraq; what policy, and direct funding to achieve it, the UK is adopting on this matter; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Pregnancy termination services are a matter for the Iraqi Ministry of Health. Reproductive health services are available in Iraqi hospitals.

Israel

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the building by Israel of the security wall; and what discussions he has had with the Israeli Government on the issue.

Bill Rammell: We recognise Israel's legitimate security concerns, and deplore the terrorist suicide bombings of Israeli civilians. We have urged the Palestinian Authority to do more to stop such bombings. But we believe that Israel's building of a wall, or fence, on occupied land is unlawful. We have repeatedly urged the Government of Israel to reconsider the route of the fence. My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have raised this issue on a number of occasions with the Israeli Prime Minister and Foreign Minister. My noble Friend the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean also raised the matter with the Israeli Foreign Minster, Silvan Shalom, during her visit to Israel on 30 September. She also raised with Zvi Shtauber, Israeli Ambassador on 22 October and Yosef Paritzky, the Israeli Minister for National Infrastructure on 29 October.
	We have made representations through our Embassy in Tel Aviv expressing concern at the route and likely impact of the fence. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have also made representations through the Israeli Embassy in London, most recently on 5 November.

Israel

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Israeli Government about the building of the wall.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary made clear our concerns about the route of the wall, or fence, to the Israeli Prime Minister and Foreign Minister on a number of occasions. My noble Friend the Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean also raised the matter with the Israeli Foreign Minster, Silvan Shalom, during her visit to Israel on 30 September. She also raised with Zvi Shtauber, Israeli Ambassador on 22 October and Yosef Paritzky, the Israeli Minister for National Infrastructure on 29 October.
	We have made representations through our Embassy in Tel Aviv expressing concern at the route and likely impact of the fence. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have also made representations through the Israeli Embassy in London, most recently on 5 November.

Nagorno-Karabakh

David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the terms of reference of the UK-funded project to improve the prospects for a settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Bill Rammell: The UK will be funding a £2 million three year project aiming to improve the prospects for a permanent settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. The purpose of the project will be to improve understanding of the conflict among all stakeholders, to improve the conflict sensitivity of national and international actors in the region and to implement a number of activities which will contribute to the development of constituencies for peace in the region. This should improve the prospects for a permanent settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict. We shall continue to encourage the governments of both Azerbaijan and Armenia to look to the future and build a better relationship between their two countries.
	Our policy on the Nagorno Karabakh dispute is that we will support any mechanism for its resolution which both parties can accept and which has a realistic chance of delivering a lasting political settlement. We continue to support the work of the OSCE Minsk Group.

Northern Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the conduct of the election in Northern Cyprus with particular reference to (a) legal action against the media, with reference to the cases of (i) Murat Kanatli, (ii) Basaran Duzgun, (iii) Hasan Hasturer, (iv) Suleyman Erguclu, (v) Hasan Kahvecioglu and (vi) Mehmet Davuleu, (b) the recent incidents involving the Peace and Democracy Movement, (c) the television interview by Mr. Denktash in which he claimed that Turkish Cypriots would be raped by Greek Cypriots, (d) the protest at Doganci (Elye) on 25 March and (e) the extent to which citizenship is being extended to settlers from mainland Turkey.

Denis MacShane: The elections in north Cyprus on 14 December are of pivotal importance to the future of the island. This is an important opportunity for Turkish Cypriots to decide their own future. It is essential that these elections should be conducted in a transparent and democratic manner, free from interference. We are calling on all those who have influence, including Turkey, to help ensure the elections in the north are free and fair. We welcome indications from the Turkish Government of the importance they attach to this.
	With regard to legal action against the media, we are deeply concerned about any attempts to limit press freedom. On the particular cases raised, we condemn the physical attack on the journalist Murat Kanatli, reportedly by the 'Grey Wolves' group in north Cyprus. The five further journalists mentioned were charged with a range of offences, including insulting the Turkish Security Forces and undermining the "state". These charges relate to articles reporting events at Doganci (Elye) on 25 March 2003, when opposition parties and pro-solution forces tried to hold a symbolic referendum in support of the Annan Plan. The police raided the protest, an army contingent removed the "ballot box" and the organisers were arrested. The timing of these prosecutions (seven months after the event) adds weight to the assertion that the indictments are politically motivated. Furthermore, we are concerned by reports that a number of these cases will be tried in a military court.
	On the recent incidents involving the Peace and Democracy movement, we are concerned about reports of attacks on their party headquarters.
	We do not wish to offer detailed comments on the remarks attributed to Mr Denktash. If he did say such things, it was clearly intended to be inflammatory.
	We continue to have concerns about the number of "settlers" who have recently been granted citizenship in north Cyprus. The fact that this took place in such numbers immediately before an election is undermining confidence in the electoral process. The opposition in northern Cyprus has applied to the "Higher Electoral Council" (YSK) for an injunction barring those who have become citizens since the municipal elections in June 2002 from voting in the elections on 14 December. We await a ruling on that particular issue. The Turkish Cypriot courts have already barred two hundred people from voting in the elections who had been granted citizenship by the "Council of Ministers".
	We will continue to monitor the situation in Cyprus very closely in the build up to elections on 14 December.

Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) remains the cornerstone of the nuclear non-proliferation regime and receives the wholehearted support of the UK and the vast majority of the international community—indeed it has the greatest membership of any arms control treaty.
	The NPT currently faces a number of challenges. It is not yet universal, and the UK continues to urge Israel, India and Pakistan to accede to the Treaty as non-nuclear weapon states. We are also concerned about North Korea's admission of a uranium enrichment programme and its announced intention to withdraw from the Treaty. This issue can only be resolved by DPRK's strict compliance with the NPT and full implementation of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards.
	The NPT has survived many challenges in its 33-year history and it remains a strong Treaty. The UK looks forward to participating fully in the 2004 NPT Preparatory Committee and the Review Conference in 2005.

Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to affirm negative security assurances given at the 1995 Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: The UK remains fully committed to the negative security assurance we gave in 1995. This negative security assurance was noted by the UN Security Council in its Resolution 984.

Pakistan

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the Pakistan authorities in respect of recent security operations involving their premises; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: holding answer 13 November 2003
	The Pakistani authorities have raised with us both in London and in Islamabad the contents of an article in the Sunday Times on 2 November. We have explained that it is the long-standing practice of successive governments not to confirm or deny allegations concerning the activities of the intelligence and security agencies.

People Trafficking

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's estimate is of the number of children that were trafficked in (a) the world, (b) Europe and (c) the UK in each of the last 10 years; and what plans he has to reduce this number.

Bill Rammell: We are committed to doing all we can to combat human trafficking. I refer my hon. Friend to the Written Statement made on 5 March 2003, Official Report, column 1085W, by my hon. Friend the Minister of State at the Home Office (Beverley Hughes) which sets out the actions we are taking.
	The nature of trafficking means that it is a hidden crime and there are no reliable figures about children being trafficked into or out of the UK. There have been a few high profile instances of children being trafficked into and through the UK, but there is insufficient information to say if this is a growing problem. However, the very nature of the crime demands that is treated very seriously, which is why the Government have introduced criminal sanctions covering child traffickers and has tasked the Reflex group with co-ordinating intelligence on the problem.

Performance Monitoring

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total cost was of (a) setting, (b) monitoring and (c) measuring the performance targets for his Department in 2002–03; and how many and what grades of civil servants monitor these targets.

Bill Rammell: Performance targets for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office were agreed as part of Spending Review 2002. The monitoring and measurement of PSA targets forms part of departmental performance management. Performance management is an integral part of the day to day running of the Department, and as such it is not possible to separate the specific costs out. The monitoring of progress towards, and performance against, the Department's PSA targets is undertaken by a wide variety of staff at all levels of the organisation.

Religious Freedom (Egypt)

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise the issue of the Christians arrested in Egypt for their faith with the Egyptian Government and urge them to stop their action against Muslim converts to Christianity.

Bill Rammell: We are looking into the reports to which the hon. Member refers. The Egyptian Constitution provides for equal public rights and duties without discrimination on the basis of religion or creed. Although we have received a number of letters on this subject from concerned people in the United Kingdom, we have seen no evidence of systematic official targeting of converts to Christianity. Where there is evidence of violation of human rights, we of course make our views known to the Egyptian authorities.

Sudan

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the peace process between the Government of Sudan and the Darfur rebel group.

Chris Mullin: There has been a joint communiqué by the Government of Sudan (GoS) and the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) agreeing to return to Abeche in one month to discuss the political and wealth sharing annexes. The parties have also reached agreement on humanitarian access, which will be under the supervision of the Humanitarian Aid Commission, with the Tri-Partite Committee (GoS, Government of Chad and the SLM) being informed of developments.
	We are not directly involved in the Abeche talks and it is difficult at this stage to make an assessment of progress. There have been allegations that the GoS have resumed military activities near SLM areas, and some indication that the SLM are disappointed that some of their proposals have been rejected.
	However, we remain hopeful that both parties will adhere to the terms of the communiqué and resume the talks on time.

Sudan

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the main points were of the ceasefire agreement of 15 October 2002 between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army; what assessment his Department has made of the Sudanese bombings in Darfur on 2 November and their impact on the on-going negotiations in that region; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mullin: The main points of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cessation of Hostilities signed on 15 October 2002 in Kenya between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) are as follows:
	the parties agree to create and maintain a conducive atmosphere throughout the negotiations; to cease hostilities in all areas and ensure military stand down for all forces; to freeze media wars and allow unimpeded humanitarian access to all areas.
	The negotiations between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) in Chad, with the Chadian Government as mediators, are separate. We are aware of reports that the Government of Sudan have resumed military activities close to Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) areas. The Government of Sudan has stated that it had bombed areas controlled by other militias who rejected the cease-fire. We are seeking corroboration of the reports including by visits by members of our embassy to the area.
	The parties have now signed a joint communiqué resolving to meet in one month to discuss the political and wealth sharing annexes of the draft agreement. There has also been agreement on humanitarian access. We view these as positive steps.

Sudan

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the progress made in negotiations between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army since the signing of the ceasefire agreement of 15 October 2002; what help his Department has (a) offered and (b) delivered to facilitate the process; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mullin: The Memorandum of Understanding on Cessation of Hostilities between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army has continued to hold. The parties have made substantial progress in the past year. A Framework Agreement on Security Arrangements during the Interim Period, signed on 25 September 2003, is a further indication of the commitment of both parties to peace. The talks have adjourned for Ramadan and will resume on 30 November. We remain hopeful that a comprehensive peace agreement will be signed in the new year.
	The UK observer team has consisted of an official based in Nairobi who can attend every session of the talks and handle local co-ordination between sessions, and the UK Special Representative for Sudan and the Head of the joint FCO/DFID Sudan Unit from London. In addition to financial contributions to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the Government have provided experts on legal and security issues. We also contribute funding and personnel to the missions monitoring the agreements already reached.

Tariq Aziz

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) medical help and (b) legal help and advice has been given to Mr. Tariq Aziz.

Bill Rammell: holding answer 10 November 2003
	Tariq Aziz is in US custody. As the detaining power, these questions are a matter for the US authorities, who have said that they do not comment on the cases of individual detainees.

UKvisas

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to ensure that calls to UKvisas on 020 7008 8446 are answered by officials.

Chris Mullin: I am sorry that officials did not answer UKvisas telephone number 0207 008 8446. Officials in UKvisas are expected to respond to all telephone calls and to use the voicemail facility. Unfortunately, on this occasion, this voicemail facility had not been updated to show that the official was out of the office, and did not give an alternative point of contact. Guidance has been re-issued to ensure that officials are aware of these procedures.
	A full list of contact numbers for the Visa Correspondence Section has been circulated to MPs' offices and is also available on the parliamentary internet. UKvisas recently introduced a dedicated telephone hotline for Members of Parliament to deal with urgent cases and inquiries. This is manned throughout office hours. UKvisas has now resent a copy of this list to my hon. Friend's office.

United Nations Compensation Commission

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list payments from the United Nations Compensation Commission to (a) the UK Government and (b) other UK beneficiaries broken down by (i) amount and (ii) date; what disbursements have been made by the UK Government; to whom; for what amount; on what dates; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mullin: From 1996 to date, the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) has paid a total of US$286,028,428.89 to the UK Government for distribution to individuals, companies and Government Departments. US$100,595,509.28 has been paid to individuals, US$180,329,020.61 to companies, and US$5,103,899.00 to Government Departments. All payments are routed through the UK Government. Details of the 420 payments to companies and six payments to Government Departments can be found on the UNCC website at www.uncc.ch. Details of payments to individuals cannot be disclosed for reasons of confidentiality.

Uzbekistan

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the human rights situation in Uzbekistan.

Bill Rammell: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell (Matthew Taylor) on 20 June 2003, Official Report, column 437W, and the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 21 October 2003, Official Report, column 536W.

Uzbekistan

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Uzbekistan has agreed to BBC World Service re-broadcasting from within Uzbekistan.

Bill Rammell: Uzbekistan has not agreed to BBC World Service re-broadcasting effectively from within Uzbekistan despite representations made to the Uzbek authorities by our embassy in Tashkent. We shall continue to lobby the Uzbek authorities on this issue.

Uzbekistan

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funding other than that provided for the translating and printing of his Department's publications in Uzbek will be provided for assistance to Uzbekistan in judicial reform.

Bill Rammell: In 2002, the Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP) funded a £71,000 pilot electronic court reporting project in Uzbekistan. As part of the project, new electronic court reporting equipment was installed in four criminal courts in the Ferghana Region. Sadly, while receiving some positive reports from defence lawyers, this assistance has had its limitations; the equipment was abused or not used in practice and court reports were not made available when cases were appealed. Further plans to install the equipment in over 150 courts nation wide have been suspended until we receive firm evidence that the equipment provided thus far is being used effectively.
	We shall continue to look for viable opportunities to assist Uzbekistan in reforming its judiciary and improving its human rights record in conjunction with EU, OSCE and other partners. We believe that lessening the dependence on often doubtful confessions and improving the focus on material and forensic evidence is the key to reducing levels of brutality and improving fairness in the judicial process. Through engagement with the authorities on development of an action plan to combat torture, we are also pressing for the political will for such reforms. Regionally we are organising a training workshop in Almaty in December to train judges and prosecutors in the judicial control of the practice of torture. Members of the Uzbek judiciary and procuracy will be invited to attend.

Western Sahara

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the oil industry which are active in the Western Sahara.

Bill Rammell: None.

Work-related Stress

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many cases of work related stress have been reported in his Department in each of the last three years; how much compensation has been paid to employees; how many work days have been lost due to work related stress, and at what cost, what procedures have been put in place to reduce work related stress, and at what cost; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not currently keep statistics on work-related stress as a sickness absence type. No compensation has been paid to employees because of work-related stress in the last three years. All FCO staff (and dependants overseas) can discuss work-related (and personal) concerns in confidence with a trained welfare officer.
	Since March 2002 the FCO has also provided a counselling and advice service to staff in the UK, and for staff and dependants overseas, via an Employee Assistance Programme. Stress, whether or not related to work, is one of the areas covered. The cost is approximately £50,000 pa.

Zimbabwe

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contacts his Department has had with the Daily News in Zimbabwe.

Chris Mullin: Our High Commission in Harare maintains regular contact with media organisations in Zimbabwe, including the Daily News, as part of its routine duties. High Commission representatives also attended the court hearings that followed the Daily News closure on 12 September 2003. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has since issued two press statements on 15 and 20 September condemning the Government of Zimbabwe for its harassment of the free and independent media in Zimbabwe. Copies of the press release are available on the FCO website: www.fco.gov.uk/policy/news/press-releases.
	Representatives from the Daily News were in London recently to raise awareness of the plight of the newspaper. I met them on 6 November.

Zimbabwe

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met President Mbeki to discuss the situation in Zimbabwe.

Chris Mullin: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary last met President Mbeki in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly on 24 September. They discussed Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to urge the Commonwealth to expel Zimbabwe.

Chris Mullin: Commonwealth decisions are made by consensus. The issue will be discussed at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting next month.
	The Commonwealth Secretary General has listed five benchmarks where there would have to be progress before Zimbabwe could be re-admitted to the Councils of the Commonwealth:
	(i) Achieving national reconciliation and dialogue;
	(ii) Repealing legislation that prejudices freedom of speech, of the press and of peaceful assembly;
	(iii) Stopping harassment of the political opposition and civil society;
	(iv) Addressing the recommendations of the two Commonwealth election observer group reports;
	(v) Engaging the Commonwealth Secretariat and UN Development Programme on a proper land reform programme.
	We see no case for readmitting Zimbabwe to the Councils of the Commonwealth while it remains in breach of these benchmarks and of the Harare Principles.

Zimbabwe

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to press the United Nations (a) to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe and (b) to debate the issue of Zimbabwe.

Chris Mullin: We maintain regular contact with the UN Secretary General, the UN Development Programme and the World Food Programme about Zimbabwe. We supported EU resolutions at the UN Human Rights Commission in 2002 and 2003. Regrettably these resolutions fell to 'No Action' motions.
	As my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made clear to the House on 10 June 2003, Official Report, column 524, we would only go to the United Nations Security Council for a resolution when we believed that we would win one. Tabling a resolution on UN sanctions would be certain to fail and would only hand Mugabe a gratuitous victory.
	We will continue to encourage the UN to focus on the crisis in Zimbabwe.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum Seekers

Diana Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people from the People's Republic of China sought asylum in the UK in (a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003 to date.

Beverley Hughes: The table shows the number of asylum applications, excluding dependants, lodged in the UK by nationals of the People's Republic of China in 2001, 2002 and from January to June 2003. The next publication on asylum applications and other asylum statistics covering the third quarter of 2003 (July-September) will be available on 27 November 2003 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	
		Applications(98) lodged in the UK by nationals of the People's Republic of China, excluding dependants
		
			  Asylum applications lodged in UK 
		
		
			  
			  
			 2001 2,390 
			 2002(99) 3,675 
			 2003—January to June(99) 1,620 
		
	
	(98) All data are rounded to the nearest five.
	(99) Provisional data.

Asylum Seekers

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the states regarded by his Department for the purposes of fast-tracking asylum applications as democratic.

Beverley Hughes: Applications are considered suitable for fast tracking if, upon initial screening, they are believed to be straightforward and capable of being decided within about seven to 10 days, and the applicant is from a country on the Fast Track Processes Suitability List (previously referred to as the "Oakington List"). A country will be added to the list only if we consider that it produces some types of claim which are capable of being decided quickly. There are no other specific requirements.
	The countries (or part countries) presently appearing on the list are:
	Afghanistan, Albania, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Congo, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Djibouti, Ecuador, Estonia, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Iraq, Ivory Coast, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malawi, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Moldova, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, St. Lucia, Serbia and Montenegro, Senegal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somaliland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
	Not all applications from the countries listed above are considered suitable for fast tracking. We are keeping under review the basis on which we consider an application suitable for special fast-tracking arrangements.

Asylum Seekers

Keith Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what resources have been allocated to citizen advice bureaux specifically for their work with asylum seekers in each of the last five years.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 20 October 2003
	The National Asylum Support Service grant funds six voluntary sector organisations to provide reception assistance and one stop services to asylum seekers. The citizens advice bureaux are not one of the organisations funded to assist asylum seekers.

Asylum Seekers

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (a) on what basis and (b) when decision making on Iraqi asylum applications resumed.

Beverley Hughes: On 16 June I announced the resumption with immediate effect of decision making on Iraqi asylum applications. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, North-West (Mr. Best) on 15 July 2003, Official Report, column 266W.

Asylum Seekers

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his Department's policy regarding travel arrangements for asylum seekers to visit relatives in the UK.

Beverley Hughes: The provision of support to eligible asylum seekers applying for asylum in the UK is intended to meet essential living needs. Regulation 9(4) of the Asylum Support Regulations 2000 provides that costs of travel are not to be regarded as an essential living need. National Asylum Support Service (NASS) does not provide funding for asylum seekers to travel by taxi to visit family or friends.
	NASS does not make arrangements for supported asylum seekers to visit relatives living elsewhere in the UK. Neither does it make arrangements for those seeking asylum outside the country to travel to the UK to see relatives.

Asylum Seekers

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers there were in (a) Hull and (b) the East Riding of Yorkshire in each month in the last two quarters for which figures are available; how long each application took to process; and how many applications were successful.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 23 October 2003
	The information is not available in the form requested.
	The availability of information on the location of asylum seekers in the UK is currently linked to the support the asylum seeker receives. Asylum seekers in the UK either receive support from the National Asylum Support Service (NASS), local authorities or the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), or are supporting themselves.
	Information on outstanding asylum cases, initial decision outcomes and asylum case processing times relating to persons in particular areas of the UK is unavailable, as are statistics regarding the location of asylum seekers not in receipt of support.
	NASS does not disperse asylum seekers to any areas in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The following table shows the number of asylum seekers (including dependants) accommodated by NASS and receiving subsistence only support in Hull as at the end of the last two quarters for which figures are available.
	
		
			 As at end of quarter Number of asylum seekers (including dependants supported in NASS accommodation in Hull(100) Number of asylum seekers (including dependants) receiving subsistence only support in Hull 
		
		
			 March 2003 940 50 
			 June 2003 75 60 
		
	
	From grant claims sent to the Home Office by local authorities, as at the end of March 2003, there were the following additional number 2 of asylum seekers being supported by the local authorities in Hull and East Riding of Yorkshire:
	1 Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 and may not sum due to rounding.
	2 Asylum seekers are not necessarily resident in the local authority that supports them due to the voluntary dispersal programme which operated prior to NASS.
	
		
			 Local authority Number of singles supported as at end March 2003 Number of families supported as at end of March 2003 
		
		
			 East Riding 5 0 
			 Hull 20 5 
		
	
	Statistics on the number of asylum seekers supported by NASS in each region are available on the Home Office's Immigration and Asylum Statistics website: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1 .html

Asylum Seekers

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers, broken down by country of origin, applied in the (a) fourth quarter of 2002, (b) first quarter of 2003 and (c) second quarter of 2003.

Beverley Hughes: The table shows the number of asylum applicants, by nationality, for the last three published quarters. This data is not available by country of origin.
	Information on asylum applications and other asylum statistics is published quarterly. The next publication covering the third quarter of 2003 (July—September 2003) will be available on the 27 November 2003 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate web site at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	
		Applications(100) for asylum, received in the UK,excluding dependants, by nationality
		
			  Quarter 4 2002 Quarter 1 2003 Quarter 2 2003 
		
		
			 Europe 
			 Albania 250 230 140 
			 Czech Republic 120 20 20 
			 SAM(101) 365 345 175 
			 Poland 235 35 20 
			 Romania 360 245 95 
			 Russia 85 70 65 
			 Turkey 805 645 585 
			 Ukraine 100 95 65 
			 Other Former USSR 675 360 210 
			 Other Former Yugo 80 60 20 
			 Others 50 20 20 
			 Total: 3,125 2,125 1,415 
			  
			 Americas 
			 Colombia 110 90 60 
			 Ecuador 90 65 40 
			 Others 585 470 275 
			 Total: 785 625 370 
			  
			 Middle East 
			 Iran 820 655 625 
			 Iraq 4,275 2,135 635 
			 Others 350 265 230 
			 Total: 5,445 3,055 1,490 
			  
			 Africa 
			 Algeria 245 210 100 
			 Angola 340 300 165 
			 Democratic Republic of Congo 690 460 300 
			 Ethiopia 225 145 120 
			 Gambia 45 15 30 
			 Ghana 80 70 80 
			 Ivory Coast 195 205 90 
			 Kenya 115 85 60 
			 Nigeria 320 350 250 
			 Rwanda 145 120 70 
			 Sierra Leone 220 165 85 
			 Somalia 1,805 1,515 900 
			 Sudan 270 95 135 
			 Tanzania 10 10 5 
			 Uganda 225 225 165 
			 Zimbabwe 2740 1,075 815 
			 Others 1,350 1,200 825 
			 Total: 9,020 6,255 4,200 
			  
			 Asia 
			 Afghanistan 1,315 950 485 
			 Bangladesh 235 205 190 
			 China 890 915 705 
			 India 425 490 645 
			 Pakistan 555 490 375 
			 Sri Lanka 420 300 245 
			 Others 490 560 440 
			 Total 4,335 3,910 3,090 
			  
			 Other and unknown nationalities 50 30 15 
			 Grand Total 22,760 16,000 10,585 
		
	
	(100) Provisional data rounded to the nearest five.
	(101) Serbia and Montenegro (SAM) replaced Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) from 5 February 2003. SAM comprises of the Republic of Serbia, the Republic of Montenegro, and the province of Kosovo (administered by the UN on an interim basis, since 1999).

Asylum Seekers

Tony Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration is given by the National Asylum Support Service to the health of an asylum seeker when a decision to disperse that asylum seeker is made.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 23 October 2003
	NASS will consider all the information known to it when deciding whether dispersal is appropriate. Where it is known this will include consideration of an asylum seeker's, or a dependant's, current medical condition.

Asylum Seekers

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers the National Asylum Support Service has placed in (a) Somerset, (b) Devon, (c) Plymouth, (d) Bristol, (e) Bath, (f) Swindon, (g) Wiltshire and (h) Dorset in each month since January.

Beverley Hughes: The information is not available in the form requested.
	Figures in respect of asylum seekers in receipt of accommodation support from the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) are published at the end of each quarter.
	Figures for the areas requested as at the end of each quarter since January 2003 are shown in the table.
	Statistics on the number of asylum seekers supported by NASS in each region are available on the Home Office's Immigration and Asylum Statistics website: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
	
		
			 Area Asylum seekers in receipt of MASS accommodation support(at end March 2003) Asylum seekers in receipt of MASS accommodation support(at end June 2003) 
		
		
			 Bristol 460 445 
			 Bath 0 0 
			 Somerset (other) 0 0 
			 Plymouth 360 415 
			 Exeter 65 55 
			 Devon (other) 0 0 
			 Swindon 15 55 
			 Wiltshire (other) 0 0 
			 Dorset 0 0

Asylum Seekers

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his intended use of zones of protection to (a) house asylum seekers and (b) process their claims.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 27 October 2003
	The UK ideas were designed to stimulate a debate on improving the international asylum system. Our thinking continues to evolve. But we remain focused on the provision of better protection in asylum seekers' own regions to reduce the motivation to cross continents to make a claim; and to reduce the burden on the asylum system from those misusing it to gain entry to the UK for economic or other reasons. This is not about shifting the burden to poorer regions.
	The majority of the world's refugees are already unable to access asylum systems in the European Union. It is therefore essential to strengthen protection in their region of origin, close to their homes, in order to ensure accessible and effective protection for people fleeing persecution and conflict. We have been working closely with UNHCR, the ED and others on this.

Asylum Seekers

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to establish regional protection zones for asylum seekers outside the UK; and what recent discussions he has had with EU Governments on this matter.

Beverley Hughes: The UK's proposals were designed to stimulate a debate on improving the international asylum system. Our thinking continues to evolve and we are engaged in dialogue with the UNHCR, the European Commission and others to consider how we might put these ideas into practice. We are thinking less in terms of specific protection areas or 'zones' and more in terms of strengthening capacity in regions of origin. The aim would be to reduce the motivation to cross continents to make a claim; and to reduce the burden on the asylum system from those misusing it to gain entry to the UK for economic or other reasons.

Asylum Seekers

David Marshall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people who have applied for asylum in the UK were resident in each constituency in the UK in the last period for which figures are available.

Beverley Hughes: I regret that the requested information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Information is held on the location of all asylum seekers supported by NASS and figures are published at local authority level in the regular quarterly asylum statistics on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www. homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html, and from the Library of the House. More detailed data on those supported by NASS, at parliamentary constituency level, is available on request.

Asylum Seekers

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers are waiting to have their cases finally determined (a) 12 to 18 months, (b) 18 to 24 months, (c) two to three years and (d) three or more years after it was lodged.

Beverley Hughes: Information on final decisions is not readily available and complete information could only be obtained by examination of individual case files to obtain information on the outcomes of initial decisions, of subsequent appeals to the Immigration Appellate Authority and the Tribunal, and of cases which have been reconsidered. This would incur disproportionate cost. 31,800 cases were awaiting an initial decision at the end of June 2003 (the latest date for which published figures are available); of these 8,900 cases were work in progress ie the application had been outstanding for six months or less.
	As at 30 June 2003, there were an estimated 20,000 appeals lodged with the Immigration and Nationality Directorate which had not been sent to the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA); a proportion of appeals lodged do not result in appeal bundles being sent to the IAA. The total asylum work in progress in the IAA as at 30 June 2003, was 29,500 (19,900 at the Adjudicator Tier, 5,000 applications for permission to appeal to the Tribunal, and 4,700 Tribunal Appeals).
	Provisional data show that 74 per cent. of applications (excluding withdrawals and third country cases 1 ) received in 2002–03 were decided and served within two months. This exceeded the Government's target of 65 per cent. for 2002–03, and was a significant increase on the corresponding figure of 61 per cent. for 2001–02.
	Information on the number of asylum applications awaiting initial decision and the timeliness of initial decisions is published quarterly on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	1 Cases which may be the responsibility of other EU member states under the Dublin Convention.

Asylum Seekers

Julia Drown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Government has to establish an independent country documentation centre in relation to asylum applications.

Beverley Hughes: There are no plans to establish an independent documentation centre. We recently established the independent Advisory Panel on Country Information under the Nationality Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 to make recommendations on the country information material produced by the Home Office and help to ensure that it is as accurate, objective and up to date as possible. The Panel is chaired by Prof. Stephen Castles of Oxford University and held its first meeting on 2 September 2003.

Asylum Seekers

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to increase the financial support to local authorities responsible for the care of asylum seeker children as a result of the judgment of the Administrative Court in the case of Behre and Others v Hillingdon London Borough Council.

Beverley Hughes: Officials across Government are working together to resolve issues arising from the recent Court judgment. An announcement about the rate of grant will be made as soon as practicable after these decisions have been concluded.
	The grant paid by the Home office to local social services departments is intended to cover the direct and immediate costs arising from the placement of children.

Asylum Seekers

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to ensure that children of asylum seekers receive education.

Beverley Hughes: It is Government policy that children of compulsory school age here as part of an asylum seeking family should receive education. This applies to all children, not just those whose parents are in receipt of support. Currently, with the exception of the small number of families who are detained, children are entitled to attend mainstream schools. For those who are detained a modular programme of education is provided at the relevant removal centre if detention is expected to last for more than a very short period. In the vast majority of cases, the detention of families with children will last for no more than a very short period, usually less than 14 days and often for only a few hours or days prior to removal.
	In respect of children placed in accommodation centres, the operators of the centres will be required to provide education to children which mirrors that provided in mainstream schools.

Asylum Seekers

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many mistaken asylum removals there were in the latest period for which figures are available.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is not available and could be obtained only by examination of individual case files at disproportionate cost.

Asylum Seekers

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to assign National Asylum Seekers Service hard case support to failed asylum seekers in Wales.

Beverley Hughes: There is nothing to prevent the majority of asylum seekers who have received a final negative decision on their claim from leaving the country immediately. Failed asylum seekers unable to leave due to circumstances entirely beyond their control may seek the short-term provision of accommodation under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, as amended. NASS has entered into an arrangement with the west London YMCA to provide accommodation in these circumstances. Accommodation will be in one of a number of YMCAs across England.

Asylum Seekers

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to reinstate embarkation controls at United Kingdom borders.

Beverley Hughes: My hon. Friend will be aware from my written answer of 10 July that we are keeping the option for embarkation controls under review while exploring the extent to which new technology which were removed by the previous conservative administration could offer us more efficient ways of checking those leaving the country. Short term embarkation exercises continue and during October a number of such exercises took place at airports throughout the United Kingdom.

Asylum Seekers

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applicants have become homeless after their claims for asylum have failed since 1 May.

Beverley Hughes: This information is not available. The legislation requires that, with the exception of families including children under the age of 18, support must be terminated 21 days after the receipt of the final negative decision on the asylum claim. NASS does not have information on the whereabouts of asylum seekers evicted from NASS properties.

Asylum Seekers

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 10 June 2003, Official Report, column 808W, on asylum seekers, if he will make a statement on (a) the proportion of failed asylum seekers who notified a new address after their final refusal and (b) the proportion of those visited by the UK Immigration Service who were found living at the recorded address in the last 12 months.

Beverley Hughes: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) maintains databases containing address details for asylum seekers which are also recorded in the individuals' Home Office file. All applicants and their representatives are told of their obligation to notify the Home Office of any subsequent change of address. This may be done, either in person at one of 11 designated Reporting Centres or by post to the Change of Address Team (CoAT), based in Croydon.
	The Casework Information Database (CID) is the main information technology (IT) system used by IND and allows information to be updated upon receipt throughout the asylum process. There is no link within CID between a change of address and the stage in the asylum process at which it occurred, e.g. before or after final refusal, and therefore the information requested is not available and could be obtained only by examination of individual case files at disproportionate cost.
	UK Immigration Service visits to asylum seekers' home addresses are not routinely recorded on the national CID database. Again, the information requested is not available and could be obtained only by examination of individual case files at disproportionate cost.

Asylum Seekers

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the reasons are for his policy not to allow asylum seekers to work while they await a decision on their case.

Beverley Hughes: We are determined to maintain a robust asylum process which helps those fleeing persecution and not those who wish to come to the United Kingdom to work.
	We believe that allowing new asylum applicants to work could act as a pull factor for those with unfounded asylum claims. Those migrants who wish to come here for the purpose of employment have a range of schemes open to them and we continue to develop more routes to allow people to come here and work legally in ways which boost our economy.
	Until 23 July 2002 there was a concession which allowed asylum seekers to seek permission to take employment if no decision had been made on their application within six months of it being lodged.
	By the time we abolished the concession in July last year it had become largely irrelevant and only applicable to a minority of applicants. This was due to the increased speed with which we delivered initial decisions on applications.
	Those who were given permission as part of the concession will retain their permission to work until they receive a final decision on their application for asylum. We have also maintained a discretion to grant permission to work in exceptional cases.

Asylum Seekers

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on European Union asylum policies; what progress has been made with the creation of a common European asylum system; and what measures need to be put into place before this can be established.

Beverley Hughes: The Tampere European Council on 15–16 October 1999 set out that the Common European Asylum System should, in its first phase, include the following: a clear and workable determination of the State responsible for the examination of an asylum application; common standards for a fair and efficient asylum procedure; common minimum conditions of reception of asylum seekers; and the approximation of rules on the recognition and content of refugee status. The Tampere European Council also called for an agreement on the issue of temporary protection for displaced persons and the completion of work on the system for the identification of asylum seekers (Eurodac).
	Of the measures described above, the Council of Ministers have adopted the following: the Council Regulation of 18 February 2003 establishing the criteria and mechanisms for determining the Member State responsible for examining an asylum application lodged in one of the Member States by a third-country national (known as "Dublin II"); the Council Regulation of 11 December 2000 concerning the establishment of "Eurodac" for the comparison of fingerprints for the effective application of the Dublin Convention; the Council Directive of 20 July 2001 on minimum standards for giving temporary protection in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons and on measures promoting a balance of efforts between Member States in receiving such persons and bearing the consequences thereof; and the Council Directive of 27 January 2003 laying down minimum standards for the reception of asylum seekers.
	Negotiations are ongoing on the proposal for a Council Directive on minimum standards for the qualification and the status of third-country nationals and stateless persons as refugees or as persons who otherwise need international protection and the proposal for a Council Directive on minimum standards on procedures in Member States for granting and withdrawing refugee status.

Asylum Seekers

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much asylum seekers cost public funds in the last 12 months, per head of tax paying population.

Beverley Hughes: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 30 October 2003, Official Report, column 320W.

Asylum Seekers

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Government will change its policy of deporting persons from the UK who come from countries which will accede to EU membership in May 2004; and what the reasons are for refusing leave to remain to people from accession countries.

Beverley Hughes: Nationals of the new member states will have full free movement rights from accession.
	We currently intend to maintain full immigration control towards nationals of the new member states until accession. This means that we will continue to remove nationals from the new member states in the same circumstances as we do at present. The Government considers that, as a matter of policy, this approach is necessary in order to maintain an effective immigration control. In addition, the United Kingdom is under no legal obligation to grant free movement rights to nationals from the new member states before 1 May 2004.

Asylum Seekers

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to monitor the whereabouts of asylum seekers affected by Section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: As part of the initial screening process asylum seekers, including those affected by Section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (NIA Act 2002), are required to provide proof of residence at a particular address. Residence at that address is then made a condition of their temporary admission into the United Kingdom, to which other conditions may be added, principally a requirement that the asylum seeker reports regularly to the Immigration Service (IS). The Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) maintains databases containing the information supplied, which is also recorded in the individual Home Office (HO) file.
	All applicants, and their representatives, are informed of their obligation to notify the Home Office of any subsequent change of address. This may be done either, in writing to the Change of Address Team (CoAT) in Croydon or, in person to the nearest IS Reporting Centre or Local Enforcement Office (LEO).
	The IS has 11 designated Reporting Centres managing reporting regimes and in addition a person may be required to report to mobile IS staff at a police station near their address. The reporting network will be further expanded by the planned introduction of both Accommodation and Induction Centres.

Asylum Seekers

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received from faith groups concerning Section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.

Beverley Hughes: There is no record of any representations from faith groups about Section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.

Asylum Seekers

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when it became his Department's policy not to enforce removals of people refused asylum to (a) Iraq, (b) Zimbabwe and (c) Somalia; and what the reasons are for this policy in each case.

Beverley Hughes: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 11 July 2003, Official Report, column 1065.

Asylum Seekers

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of asylum applications within the last 12 months for which figures are available were given initial decisions (a) within two weeks, (b) within two months, (c) within six months and (d) after a period of more than six months.

Beverley Hughes: In the 12 months from April 2002 to March 2003 (the latest period for which published figures are available), 74 per cent. of substantive applications (excluding withdrawals and third country cases 1 ) were decided and served within two months and 9 per cent. were decided and served within two weeks. This compares to an average of 20 months when the right hon. Member for Folkstone and Hythe was Home Secretary. The two months figure of 74 per cent. exceeded the Government's target of 65 per cent. for 2002–03 and performance is on track to meet the target for 2003–04 of 75 per cent. The corresponding data requested for initial decisions decided and served within six months will be published in the next quarterly asylum statistics, data for initial decisions decided and served after a period of six months are not available.
	Information on the timeliness of initial decisions is published quarterly on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	1 Cases which may be the responsibility of other EU member states under the Dublin Convention.

Asylum Seekers

Mohammad Sarwar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to have determined and finalised asylum cases which qualify under the asylum amnesty he announced recently.

Beverley Hughes: It is expected to take about six months to assess the bulk of those who may be eligible.

Asylum Seekers

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  which service providers are supplying housing for asylum seekers in Essex; and in which towns those homes are provided;
	(2)  how many service providers are providing accommodation for asylum seekers;
	(3)  if he will make a statement on the current service provider contracts for housing asylum seekers; and when they will expire.

Beverley Hughes: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate has 22 contracts with providers for the supply of accommodation to eligible asylum seekers. Eight of these contracts are with the private sector, 12 with the public sector, one with a registered social landlord and one with a charity. The majority of these contracts are due to expire in 2005. There are no contracts providing accommodation in Essex.
	In addition some asylum seekers are supported by local authorities under the interim regulations. No information is held centrally on contracts between individual authorities and their suppliers of accommodation.

Asylum Seekers

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seeker families in North East Lincolnshire are eligible to remain in the UK under the recently announced amnesty.

Beverley Hughes: Families who may qualify will be asked to complete a questionnaire. On the basis of the responses and other information on our files decisions will be made about whether they qualify or not.
	The number of families in North East Lincolnshire who will be eligible for a grant of indefinite leave will therefore only be known once the responses are in and the cases have been processed.

Coroners Courts (Welsh Language)

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many coroners courts in Wales have the resources for simultaneous language translation.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is not available centrally. However, I understand that the Court Service is normally able to provide suitable facilities for use by other courts and tribunals in Wales on request.

Coroners Courts (Welsh Language)

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what action he is taking to ensure that, in inquests, the principles laid down in the Welsh Language Act 1993 are upheld;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the Welsh Language Board and the Welsh Assembly on the adequacy of only providing sequential translation as an option for those wanting a Welsh language inquest.

Paul Goggins: Coroners in Wales are expected to comply with the requirements of the 1993 Act and take responsibility for making any necessary arrangements for translation services.
	The Home Office assists by providing Welsh language versions of our public information leaflets for distribution. Neither the Welsh Language Board nor the Welsh Assembly has raised any concerns with us about these arrangements.

Coroners Courts (Welsh Language)

Simon Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many Welsh language inquests have used (a) sequential and (b) simultaneous translation in each year since 1997.
	(2)  how many applications for a Welsh language inquest have been (a) made and (b) refused in each county in Wales since 1997.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is not held centrally.

Headstones

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 27 January, Official Report, column 622W, on headstones, when he expects to issue guidance following the report of the Burial and Cemeteries Advisory Group.

Paul Goggins: The issues surrounding memorial safety are currently being considered by a working group made up of representatives from the burial industry and other organisations. Although it has taken slightly longer than we had anticipated, work is progressing well, and we hope to issue appropriate guidance on memorial safety to local burial authorities early next year.

Speeding Fines

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many fixed penalty notices were issued in relation to speeding offences captured by (a) mobile speed cameras and (b) fixed speed cameras in each year since 1997.

Caroline Flint: Available data on the number of fixed penalty notices issued for speeding offences detected by camera in England and Wales from 1997 to 2001 (latest available) are given in the table. 2002 data will be available in the New Year. Data by type of camera device used are not collected centrally.
	
		Fixed penalties(102)for speeding offences detected by camera(103)England and Wales, 1997 to 2001
		
			 Year Number 
		
		
			 1997 288,600 
			 1998 338,800 
			 1999 423,000 
			 2000 599,200 
			 2001 877,500 
		
	
	(102) Paid, i.e. no further action
	(103) Automatic cameras until 1998, all camera types from 1999

Work Permits

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many work permits have been issued to foreign nationals to work in the UK in each of the past five years.

Beverley Hughes: The total number of work permit approvals for each of the past five years in the United Kingdom is as follows:
	1998—53,962
	1999—60,743
	2000—88,651
	2001—120,823
	2002—136,151 (including NI figures from 1 September);
	and in Northern Ireland:
	1998—347 (1 May to 31 December)
	1999—549
	2000—863
	2001—1,173
	2002—1,410 (1 January to 31 August).

Asylum Reform Consultation

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will extend the three week consultation period on new legislative proposals on asylum reform to the minimum stipulated by Criterion 5 of Cabinet Office Guidelines on written consultations.

Beverley Hughes: As my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary first announced on 22 May this year, the Government are intending to introduce further legislative measures to address the specific problems of abusive appeals and undocumented applicants in the asylum system which continue to undermine the credibility of the system. As stated in the letter we sent to stakeholders, we consider that these are urgent measures and are therefore seeking to introduce them as soon as parliamentary time allows. While we are seeking the views of key stakeholders on the new provisions we believe that further reform is needed quickly if we are to capitalise on the success of our measures to date. Further dialogue is taking place with stakeholders on specific measures and a copy of the letter to stakeholders has been placed on the website of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate so that it is available to the public.

Administrative Court

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the estimated costs are of cases dealt with by the Administrative Court relating to section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002; and how many cases these costs cover.

David Lammy: One thousand and ninety six cases have been dealt with at an estimated cost to the Court Service of £120,320; the costs of solicitors and counsel representing the claimants and defendants are not included in this figure.

Police Code of Conduct (Anonymity of Suspects)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions a police officer has breached the Police Code of Conduct through unauthorised disclosure of information on a suspect since 1973.

Hazel Blears: Information concerning the number of occasions a police officer has breached the Police Code of Conduct through unauthorised disclosure of information on a suspect since 1973 is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Police Code of Conduct (Anonymity of Suspects)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the amendments by the Association of Chief Police Officers to their media and disciplinary guidelines on the subject of anonymity for suspects will be completed.

Hazel Blears: The amendments by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) to their media and disciplinary guidelines have been completed. They give greater prominence to the issue of anonymity and underline that suspects should not be named before charge. They go on to highlight the possible dangers of doing so in that not only is there the risk of causing irreparable damage to a suspect's reputation, but also because unwarranted disclosure could leave a force open to civil proceedings. ACPO promulgated these guidelines to all forces in mid-October 2003.

Antisocial Behaviour

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how he plans to keep (a) the police, (b) environmental health and housing officers and (c) the community informed of new powers resulting from legislation concerning anti-social behaviour; and how he will monitor the implementation of the new legislation;
	(2)  how he proposes to improve the efficiency of the administration of the implementation of anti-social behaviour legislation and orders;
	(3)  what measures are in place to hold local authorities to account for their role in the implementation of anti-social behaviour policies.

Hazel Blears: All Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships will be required to set out their strategy for tackling anti-social behaviour as part of their three-year Crime and Disorder Reduction Strategy. This includes setting out the tools that they intend to use, available through new or existing legislation. It is the role of Government Offices to monitor the success of the Partnership against this strategy.
	In addition "Together: Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour" the Government's Action Plan sets out our strategy to ensure that all available powers are understood, that they are used effectively and that all agencies support their local communities. We will be setting up the together Actionline and website to provide accurate and high quality information on a full range of interventions and access to innovative solutions. The together Academy will bring together practitioners to provide advice and training on specific issues, and to share knowledge about new solutions to tackle anti-social behaviour.

Antisocial Behaviour

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make additional funds available to local councils for the establishment of anti-social behaviour teams with (a) legal support and (b) people trained in taking witness statements.

Hazel Blears: The Home Department has set aside £75 million for the next three years to tackle anti-social behaviour. The Home Office, through this money, will fund local authorities for work to tackle anti-social behaviour; however, it will be for individual local authorities to decide how they invest funding.
	In addition through the together campaign the Anti-Social Behaviour Unit will improve performance across England and Wales by providing funding to support every Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP); establishing a together Academy, providing training to practitioners; and establishing a together Action Line, offering advice and information on all anti-social behaviour related matters.

Antisocial Behaviour

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Minister for Crime Reduction, Policing and Community Safety will meet the hon. Member for Crosby to discuss anti-social behaviour.

Hazel Blears: I would be happy to meet with my hon. Friend the Member for Crosby (Mrs. Curtis-Thomas). If she would contact my office a meeting can be arranged.

Antisocial Behaviour

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he intends to tackle the problem of binge drinking and associated anti-social behaviour.

Hazel Blears: The answer I gave my hon. Friend on 16 September 2003, Official Report, column 659W, set out a number of legislative measures that are already in place to help tackle anti-social behaviour associated with drinking alcohol.
	The Interim Analytical Report published by the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit in September highlighted the scale of alcohol misuse in England. The final report setting out the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England will be published in time for implementation to begin in 2004 and will contain measures to tackle the range of harms associated with alcohol misuse, including binge drinking and alcohol related crime and disorder.

Antisocial Behaviour

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on how powers of the police have been strengthened since 1997 to deal with antisocial behaviour.

Hazel Blears: The Anti-social Behaviour Bill provides a number of new powers for the police:
	1. Powers to close premises that are being used for drug dealing or use and causing disorder or serious nuisance.
	2. The ability to issue penalty notices for truancy, for use when conducting truancy sweeps with the education welfare service
	3. A power to designate areas with a history of anti-social behaviour where they can disperse groups causing intimidation and take children home who are out on the streets late at night.
	4. New controls to tackle the misuse of air weapons and replica guns.
	5. Improved powers for dealing.with public assemblies and trespassers. This will help the police to deal with problems caused by intimidating protestors and illegal raves. There is a new power to move on trespassing encampments where there is a relevant site available.
	6. New powers for local authorities to intervene in neighbourly disputes regarding high hedges.
	7. Extension of the power to issue penalty notices for disorder to 16 and 17 year olds.
	8. The Criminal Justice Bill will extend police stop and search powers to circumstances where they have reasonable suspicion that articles made, adapted or intended for use in offences of criminal damage are being carried.

Antisocial Behaviour

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will make up the nuisance neighbours panels; when they will be set up; how they will be able to be contacted; what powers they will have; and what measures will be put in place to ensure complainants are protected.

Hazel Blears: Nuisance neighbour panels will be going live in early 2004. Work is currently being undertaken on the composition of the panels, and finalising their core functions. Once up and running the panels will be contactable through the Anti-Social Behaviour Unit in my Department. All complainants will be anonymised.

Bechtel

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the contracts for consultancy and other work carried out by Bechtel for agencies responsible to his Department and its predecessor in each year since 1997, stating in each case (a) the nature of the work, (b) the value of the contract and (c) the duration of the contract; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on the 27 October, Official Report, column 109W. This answer included information provided by the agencies responsible to the Home Office.

Biometrics

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research projects his Department has funded on the use of biometrics as a secure form of identification.

Beverley Hughes: We have funded a study by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) on the use of iris, fingerprint and face biometrics in an identity card scheme, the results of which are on the Home Office website.
	We have funded research into fingerprints through the Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO) and its predecessors, from the 1970s, chiefly through periodic 'benchmark' tests of fingerprint matching systems to ensure accuracy and security.
	We have also used biometrics in several operational programmes such as the Immigration and Nationality Directorate's ARC scheme.

Bomfords/Pontrilas Sawmills

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department following the raids last month on two employers in the Midlands, how many of the people detained were people who had claimed asylum, had been refused but could not be returned to their country of origin because it was not safe; how many, after investigation, were found to have the right to remain but had not obtained national insurance numbers; how many were found to have the right to work and a national insurance number; of the other employees working at Bomfords and Pontrilas sawmills who were interviewed, how many were found to have the right to remain but had not obtained national insurance numbers; and how many who had the right to work were being paid below the minimum wage.

Beverley Hughes: A total of 44 individuals were detained during the course of the operations at Bomfords and Pontrilas sawmills. None fitted the above criteria. The individuals were detained because they were removable from the United Kingdom.
	The operations were aimed at the detection and removal of immigration offenders. Once an individual's immigration status was established, no further inquiries were conducted on site. It is not possible therefore to give details relating to the possession of national insurance numbers.
	Once an employee established to an immigration officer that he or she had the right to remain in the United Kingdom, no further inquiries were required.
	Inquiries were not made into exact pay levels at Pontrilas, but it is believed that there were no staff being paid less than the minimum wage. At Bomfords the majority of labour had been provided by agencies and were employed on a piece work basis.

Child Abuse (Investigations)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the outcome of discussions with the Association of Chief Police Officers regarding mandatory audio and visual recording of police interviews with (a) complainants and (b) other significant witnesses in investigations of past cases of abuse in children's homes;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on discussions with the Association of Chief Police Officers regarding the safeguards in investigations of past cases of abuse in children's homes.

Hazel Blears: I am corresponding with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) regarding the investigation of past cases of child abuse in children's homes.
	I wrote to the hon. member on 4 November offering a meeting to discuss these matters.

Citizenship Applications

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long it has taken to deal with citizenship applications in the last 12 months for which figures are available; how many citizenship certificates were issued in each year since 1993; and what the total income from citizenship applications has been since 1993.

Beverley Hughes: There are no data published on actual decision times to determine applications for British citizenship. Information on expected waiting times for citizenship applications are available on the IND website; www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk and is periodically updated. As at September 2003 the expected average processing times were:
	Naturalisation7.7 months
	Adult registrations1.7 months
	Minor registrations7.9 months
	Other registrations1.3 months
	Delays arise in part because applications are not always accompanied by complete documentation. Thus, the time taken for a particular individual application may be significantly less than the average if all relevant documentation has been sent with the application form. Statistics on the applications for British citizenship granted since 1993 are shown in the table below:
	
		
			 Year Applications granted 
		
		
			 1993 45,795 
			 1994 44,035 
			 1995 40,515 
			 1996 43,070 
			 1997 37,010 
			 1998 53,935 
			 1999 54,900 
			 2000 82,210 
			 2001 90,295 
			 2002 120,145 
		
	
	Information on total income from citizenship applications before 1996 is unavailable. Information for 2000–01 is also unavailable. Total income from citizenship applications from 1996–2000 and after 2001 are shown in the table.
	
		£000s
		
			 Year Nationality applications ROA applications 
		
		
			 1996–97 800,000 Not shown separately 
			 1997–98 869,000 Not shown separately 
			 1998–99 6,491,068 56,656 
			 1999–2000 7,146,783 63,248 
			 2000–01   
			 2001–02 10,691,823 115,281 
			 2002–03 18,155,419 62,731 
			 1.4.03–30.9.03 6,478,410 48,917

Community Support Officers

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Community Support Officers there are in Lincolnshire constabulary.

Hazel Blears: There are currently 43 Community Support Officers on patrol within Lincolnshire police force and one vacancy.
	The Home Office funds or part funds 42 of these posts. The other two, deployed within caravan sites in East Division's (Skegness), are wholly locally funded.

Community Support Officers

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Community Support Officers (a) there are in 2002–03 and (b) there will be in 2003–04 in each police authority in England and Wales.

Hazel Blears: The table shows the number of Community Support Officers (CSOs) recruited by each force by 1 April 2003 and the Home Office estimate for the number of CSOs in each force on 1 April 2004.
	The figures given include both Home Office funded CSOs and those CSOs funded by local arrangements who have already been recruited. I anticipate that the total numbers for April 2004 will be larger for some forces as they are working to recruit additional locally funded CSOs.
	
		
			 Force CSOs recruited1 April 2003 Estimate CSOs recruited 1 April 2004 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 12 46 
			 Bedfordshire 0 12 
			 Cambridgeshire 6 47 
			 Cheshire 6 21 
			 Cleveland 40 60 
			 Devon and Cornwall 20 55 
			 Dorset 7 7 
			 Durham 10 35 
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 5 
			 Essex 10 55 
			 Gloucestershire 0 60 
			 Greater Manchester 160 185 
			 Gwent 30 50 
			 Hertfordshire 14 38 
			 Kent 18 63 
			 Lancashire 74 111 
			 Leicestershire 28 45 
			 Lincolnshire 32 44 
			 Merseyside 40 100 
			 Metropolitan Police 604 1,034 
			 Norfolk 12 30 
			 Northamptonshire 12 12 
			 North Wales 0 8 
			 North Yorkshire 0 37 
			 Northumbria 0 45 
			 Nottinghamshire 10 45 
			 South Wales 0 50 
			 South Yorkshire 14 42 
			 Staffordshire 0 10 
			 Suffolk 0 15 
			 Surrey 52 63 
			 Sussex 22 72 
			 Thames Valley 0 8 
			 Warwickshire 11 24 
			 West Mercia 10 40 
			 West Midlands 0 56 
			 West Yorkshire 70 170 
			 Wiltshire 15 25 
			 Total 1,339 2,825

Community Support Officers

George Stevenson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many community support officers are deployed in each local authority area in Staffordshire.

Hazel Blears: In May 2003 my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary allocated funding for 10 Community Support Officers (CSOs) to Staffordshire police force. The table shows the deployment of these CSOs in the local authorities of Staffordshire.
	
		
			 Local authority Number of CSOs 
		
		
			 Cannock Chase 0 
			 East Staffordshire 2 
			 Lichfield 2 
			 Newcastle under Lyme 2 
			 South Staffordshire 2 
			 Stafford 0 
			 Staffordshire Moorlands 1 
			 Stoke on Trent 0 
			 Tamworth 1

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter to him dated 9 September from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mr. Farooq Ahmed.

David Blunkett: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 13 November 2003.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter to him dated 8 September from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr.Yacob Yunis.

David Blunkett: I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 13 November 2003.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason he has not replied to the letter to him of 8 September from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr.Yacob Yonis.

Beverley Hughes: The reply is incorporated in 133846.SV 28.10.03.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department why he has not yet replied to the letter to him dated 18 August from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Syed Ahstesham Qaisa.

David Blunkett: I responded to my right hon. Friend on 30 October 2003.

Correspondence

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will direct the Immigration and Nationality Department to reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Wrexham dated 2 June and 24 July in respect of Mr. Hamad Hamadimin Ahmed.

Beverley Hughes: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate wrote to my hon. Friend on 29 September 2003.

Correspondence

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will direct the Immigration and Nationality Department to reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Wrexham dated 9 December 2002, 4 February 2003 and 24 July 2003 in respect of Mrs. Clementina (Ikekwoaba) Samuels.

Beverley Hughes: The Immigration and Nationality Directorate replied to my hon. Friend's letters of 9 December 2002 and 4 February 2003 on 26 March 2003. My hon. Friend's letter of 24 July 2003 was replied to on 29 September 2003.

Crime Statistics (Lincolnshire)

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offences were recorded by Lincolnshire police force in each year since 1995, broken down by category.

Hazel Blears: The requested information is given in the table.
	There was a change of counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998, which had the effect of increasing the number of crimes counted. Numbers of offences for years before and after this date are therefore not directly comparable.
	The National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) was introduced across England and Wales in April 2002. Lincolnshire Police Force introduced the Standard in March 2002. Broadly, the NCRS had the effect of increasing the number of crimes recorded by the police. Therefore, following the introduction of the Standard, numbers of recorded crimes are not comparable with previous years.
	
		Number of offences recorded by Lincolnshire police from 1995 to 2002–03
		
			  1995(104) 1996 1997 1998–99(105),(106) 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02(107) 2002–03(107) 
		
		
			 Total crime 48,015 47,069 43,381 46,670 46,170 44,884 49,797 61,949 
			 Violence against the person 2,514 2,701 3,051 4,239 3,866 3,743 4,812 9,238 
			 Sexual offences 367 293 329 393 325 281 414 583 
			 Robbery 128 138 107 149 178 191 251 307 
			 All burglary 12,243 12,819 10,551 10,257 10,719 9,583 9,592 10,831 
			 Theft and handling 22,774 21,085 20,085 19,328 19,551 18,938 19,728 22,745 
			 Fraud and forgery 1,163 1,148 1,382 2,723 1,641 1,662 1,968 2,580 
			 Criminal damage 8,138 8,289 7,145 7,728 8,391 9,078 11,282 13,694 
			 Drug offfences(106) — — — 1,229 975 906 1,116 1,060 
			 Other offences 688 596 731 624 524 502 634 911 
			 Theft from a vehicle 5,661 6,568 5,511 4,838 4,873 4,830 4,897 5,756 
			 Theft of a vehicle 3,538 3,388 2,804 2,106 1,998 1,797 1,885 2,101 
		
	
	(104) Crimes were recorded on a calendar year basis until 1997, and on a financial year basis thereafter.
	fp
	(105) The number of crimes recorded in that financial year using the expanded offence coverage and revised counting rules which came into effect on 1 April 1998.
	(106) Up until April 1998, the existing drug offences were recorded within 'Other offences'.
	(107) Lincolnshire police implemented the NCRS in March 2002. Numbers of recorded crimes after this date are not comparable with previous years.

Discrimination (Catholic Subjects)

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what restrictions upon Her Majesty's Catholic subjects are contained in legislation for which his Department is responsible; and whether he intends to introduce legislation to repeal them as part of the new legislation against religious discrimination.
	(2)  whether he intends to introduce legislation to remove discrimination against Catholic subjects of the Crown; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  if he will make a statement on his policy towards the enforcement of laws that discriminate against Her Majesty's Catholic subjects.

Fiona Mactaggart: I will write to the right hon. Member about the matters he has raised.

Donald Russell McLachlin

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the application by Donald Russell McLachlin (Ref: M525305) for indefinite leave to remain in the UK will be determined; and what the reasons for the delay are.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 21 October 2003
	Mr. McLachlin's application was lodged in April. It could not be decided on initial consideration. Cases that cannot be initially decided are dealt with in order of receipt. The majority of these are expected to be decided within six months although particularly complex cases can take longer.
	Applications received on or after 1 August attract a fee and we intend that decisions will be reached on these within 13 weeks. Mr. McLachlin's application was determined on 1 October and he has been informed of this decision.
	I wrote to the hon. Member on 15 October to set out the position and suggest how Mr. McLachlin might proceed with an application.

Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the annual running cost of Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre was in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Beverley Hughes: The most recent year in which there are figures available for the annual running cost of Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre is 2002–03. The annual running cost for this year was £4,778,287.

Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to visit Dungavel.

Beverley Hughes: As Minister for Immigration I visited Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre in September last year. I currently have no plans to make a return visit.

Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are in place to maintain teaching standards at Dungavel in circumstances where there has been a large admission of children.

Beverley Hughes: There is limited family accommodation at Dungavel Removal Centre and the number of families at the centre fluctuates from day-to-day. For example, during September there were, on any one day, as few as two school age children at Dungavel and never more than 15. The nature of immigration detention is such that there is never a large admission of children as might be the case in local schools and special arrangements do not therefore need to be made for such an eventuality.

Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost per week is of detaining (a) a single adult asylum seeker in Dungavel, (b) a child of an asylum seeker in Dungavel, (c) a single asylum seeker in Tinsley House and (d) a child of an asylum seeker in Tinsley House.

Beverley Hughes: The average cost per place per week for detaining a person is £655 for Dungavel and £762 for Tinsley House for 2003/04.
	These figures are an average cost per head. It would incur disproportionate cost to break the figures down for adults and children.

Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on arrangements for the welfare of children being kept at Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre.

Beverley Hughes: Families with children who are detained at Dungavel Removal Centre are accommodated in a separate family unit within the centre. Each family room has en-suite facilities. There is a separate family canteen that provides three meals a day as well as a milk kitchen with facilities for younger children. There is a crèche for babies and younger children. There is education provision for all school-aged children. The curriculum includes maths, English, art and history. Science is also included and outside contacts have been set up with various agencies to facilitate the science programme. Children also have access to a library, televisions and videos and a variety of games. There is a multi-faith room at Dungavel which children are able to access with their parents.
	Children have access to the open air throughout the day. There is an outdoor play facility for the younger children and separate gym time is made available for children each day.
	There are health care facilities for both children and adults, with 24 hours, seven days a week on site nursing care and a GP available for surgery throughout the week.

Mrs. Geraldine Merchant

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take action to ensure that the passport of Mrs. Geraldine Merchant, Ref: M1012795, is returned to her as soon as possible.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 30 October 2003
	My hon. Friend is aware that the circumstances of this case required a full investigation. However, Mrs. Merchant's application should be decided within the next two months. Her passport can be returned to her before then if she wishes but will not be endorsed with leave to remain.

Ethnic Minorities

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff were employed by the Prison Service in England and Wales as (a) governor grade, (b) prison officers and (c) other staff on the latest date for which figures are available; and how many in each category were (i) black and (ii) Asian.

Paul Goggins: Information on the recorded ethnicity of Prison Service staff at 31 October 2003 is contained in the table.
	
		
			 Ethnic group Senior operational managers(108) Officers(109) Other staff Total 
		
		
			 White 1,170 20,790 18,562 40,522 
			 Asian 6 199 456 661 
			 Black 10 432 768 1,210 
			 Other Minority Ethnic 21 315 330 666 
			 No Data 85 2,189 1,914 4,188 
			 Total 1,292 23,925 22,030 47,247 
		
	
	(108) Refers to Governor grades
	(109) Includes prison officers, senior officers and principal officers

Ethnic Minorities

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were stopped and searched by each police force in England and Wales in each of the last 10 years; and how many of the people stopped were (a) black and (b) Asian.

Hazel Blears: Information on the number of stops and searches under section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and other legislation for the years 1991 to 1996, broken down by police force area, are given in Table l which has been placed in the Library. These figures include stops and searches of persons and vehicles. During this period there was no information collected giving the required breakdown on the ethnic group of persons stopped and searched.
	Information on stops and searches of individuals from 1996–97 to 2001–02 is presented in Table 2 which has been placed in the Library, and includes a breakdown by the specific ethnic group groups requested.

Ethnic Minorities

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers in England and Wales were in post on the latest date for which figures are available, broken down by rank; and how many in each rank were (a) black and (b) Asian.

Hazel Blears: The total number of officers in post at 31 March 2003 is contained in Table 4 of Home Office Statistical Bulletin 11/03. Information on the number of minority ethnic officers by rank is contained in Table 9. A copy of the publication including Tables 4 and 9 is available in the Library.

Ethnic Minorities

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many new police officers were appointed during 2002; and how many of those newly appointed were (a) black and (b) Asian.

Hazel Blears: The number of full time equivalent officers joining the police service in the 12 months to 31 March 2003 was 13,126. Of these, 679 (5.2 per cent.) were minority ethnic officers. There is no breakdown available for Black and Asian officers.

EU Enlargement (Migration)

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of people from countries acceding to the EU who will take up jobs in the UK in each of the three years following accession.

Beverley Hughes: Research conducted by University College London for the Home Office, published in June this year ("The impact of EU enlargement on migration flows", Home Office On-Line Report 25/03), estimates that the numbers of people who will migrate to the UK from the new member states in the years following enlargement will not be significant. The research corroborates a number of other independent studies which have been summarised in reports by the European Commission in 2000 and the former Department for Education and Employment in 1999. The estimates for those expected to migrate comprise both those coming for purposes of work and those coming for other reasons such as education.
	We will monitor the situation and the UK has the right to reintroduce restrictions in the event of an unexpected impact on the standard of living or level of employment in a particular region or occupation.

Fireworks

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what the estimated cost was of the misuse of fireworks not sold in retail outlets and not used in organised displays in each of the last four years;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the criminal damage caused by Chinese bomb fireworks in each of the last three years.

Hazel Blears: This information is not held centrally. However, Merseyside Police estimate they have spent £500,000 dealing with fireworks incidents so far this year. The recent use of fireworks as improvised explosive devices in the North-West is of particular concern.
	Fireworks misuse is a nuisance and can be a danger to the public. That is why, on 5 November 2003, we announced our intention to introduce a package of measures banning possession of fireworks by under 18s, banning possession of display fireworks by members of the public and increasing penalties for throwing fireworks in the street. Further measures tackling fireworks nuisance will be taken forward in the New Year.

Forensic Science

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many pathologists on the Home Office Register of Forensic Pathology have been removed from the list since its creation;
	(2)  how many years each member of the Police Advisory Board for Forensic Pathology has served; and how many members have retired;
	(3)  by what means a coroner may alert the appropriate authorities of perceived professional shortcomings of a forensic pathologist;
	(4)  by what means he monitors the performance of forensic pathologists;
	(5)  for what reason the Police Advisory Board for Forensic Pathology's Disciplinary Tribunal recused itself before the completion of its hearing on the one occasion in the last 10 years on which it has met; what the consequences were of its recusal; and what subsequent professional activity has been undertaken by the pathologist who was the object of the complaint;
	(6)  if he will place the terms of reference of the Police Advisory Board for Forensic Pathology, the list of current members and a copy of the Board's Complaints and Disciplinary Procedures in the Library;
	(7)  to whom the Police Advisory Board for Forensic Pathology reports; and if he will place the most recent report of the Board in the Library;
	(8)  how many times the Police Advisory Board for Forensic Pathology has met since its creation; and if he will place minutes of its meetings in the Library.

Hazel Blears: The issues raised have been dealt with in a letter from my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry, North-East (Mr. Ainsworth) on 11 June.

Forensic Science

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations he has received (a) in favour of and (b) opposed to the privatisation of the Forensic Science Service.

Hazel Blears: In his statement of 17 July 2003, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary explained the reasons for the proposal that the Forensic Science Service should become a public-private partnership. To date, there have been (a) no representations in favour of the proposal, and (b) 120 representations expressing concern about the future status of the organisation.

Fraudulent Passport Applications

Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who is responsible for investigating fraudulent passport applications.

Beverley Hughes: It is one of the UK Passport Service's (UKPS) primary responsibilities to ensure that UK passports are issued only to those people who are entitled to them. UKPS are responsible for identifying fraudulent applications for passports and for mounting investigations into such applications. Once initiated, these investigations are progressed in partnership with police, Immigration Service, and other law enforcement agencies.

Haslar Removal Centre

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what briefings have been given to prison staff at Haslar Removal Centre relating to (a) the extension of the centre, (b) its transfer to the Immigration Service and (c) its possible privatisation.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 4 November 2003
	A project team has been set up to look at proposals to transfer operational responsibility for the centre from the Prison Service to IND. Staff and Trade Unions have been informed of this by means of a letter. The project team will continue to keep them informed throughout the process. The centre manager and his senior management team at Haslar were involved in a feasibility study to look at options to extend Haslar. The options did not prove to be cost effective and therefore there are no plans at present to develop the removal centre at Haslar.

Haslar Removal Centre

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans other than those proposed by his Department have been put forward for the extension of the Haslar Removal Centre; and what the planned new accommodation total is in the proposals put forward by (a) his Department and (b) other bodies.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 4 November 2003
	Indicative plans were prepared which looked at a number of options to extend Haslar. However, these were simply architectural sketch plans and no detailed plans have been prepared. No plans have been submitted for planning approval and at this time there is no intention of doing so. There are currently no plans to expand the Removal Centre at Haslar.

Haslar Removal Centre

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans for the extension of Haslar Removal Centre have been produced by Capita.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 20 October 2003
	Indicative plans were prepared by Capita for some expansion and improvement to Haslar Removal Centre, but we have no plans at present to take this forward.

Entitlement Cards/Identity Fraud

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish a summary of the responses to the consultation paper on Entitlement Cards and Identity Fraud.

Beverley Hughes: On 11 November 2003, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary made a Statement to the House announcing the publication of "Identity Cards—A Summary of Findings from the Consultation Exercise on Entitlement Cards and Identity Fraud". This followed a lengthy public consultation under Cabinet Office guidelines.
	The publication summarises the responses and the results of surveys and polling which demonstrated substantial commitment to some form of identity card, a term the public preferred to the term "entitlement card".
	The Government has decided to begin the process of building a base for a national compulsory identity cards scheme. The scheme is a key part of a comprehensive strategy to contain threats from illegal migration and working, organised crime and terrorism, identity theft and fraud and fraudulent access to public services, for example by illegal immigrants who have no entitlement to them.

Imams (Entry Clearance)

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Imams have been given clearance to enter and remain in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: Information on the number of Imams given clearance to enter and remain in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years is not available except by examination of individual case-files at disproportionate cost.

Immigration

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria are used by immigration officers, who release a person from immigration detention, to determine whether an address is suitable as one where the person will be required to live under the terms of the temporary admission; and what checks immigration officers are expected to carry out before releasing a person from detention to ensure an address meets these criteria.

Beverley Hughes: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 11 July 2003, Official Report, column 1068.

Immigration

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what actions he is taking to ensure that UK immigration rules are fully compliant with the Human Rights Act 1998.

Beverley Hughes: Paragraph 2 of the Immigration Rules states that all immigration staff will carry out their duties in compliance with the provisions of the Human Rights Act 1998. In preparing changes to the Immigration Rules, my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary takes detailed advice as part of his consideration of questions of compatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights from the Immigration and Nationality Directorate officials and Home Office lawyers. Judgments in individual immigration appeal cases raising human rights issues are also carefully examined for any wider potential implications for the Rules.

Immigration

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out his (a) proposals and (b) targets for improving the speed and quality of service for those who seek to enter the United Kingdom lawfully under the immigration rules.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 23 October 2003
	The UK Immigration Service is committed to processing bona fide passengers with minimal delay, and has signed up to international standards for passenger processing times. These are embedded in the UK Immigration Service's annual business objectives, and are kept under review.
	The International Air Transport Association (IATA) standards for processing passengers are:
	45 minutes for non-EEA passengers,
	with minimal delay for EEA passengers.
	The UK Immigration Service's performance is also measured independently against the British Airports Authority (BAA) quality of service management figures, which includes queuing times. The Immigration Service continues to score well against this measure.
	The Immigration Service is currently drawing up service level agreements with a number of port operators to monitor passenger processing times.

Immigration

John Lyons: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the benefits to the UK economy of authorised immigration.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 27 October 2003
	In 2001 the Home Office published a wide ranging review of the effects of migration on the UK Economy, and in 2002 its Research Directorate published four separate research reports on migrants' fiscal effects and their labour market outcomes and impacts. The studies considered various aspects of immigrants' characteristics and contribution to the UK economy.
	The overall impact is positive—migrants have no significant adverse impact on non-migrants' employment and, if anything, had a positive impact on wages, suggesting they bring complementary skills. The evidence demonstrates that migrants contribute to economic growth, productivity, innovation and public finances. The fiscal study estimated that immigrants made a net £2.5 billion contribution to the economy in 1999–2000. Immigrants also help fill jobs that companies have been unable to fill from the domestic labour force.

Immigration

Si�n Simon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will amend paragraph 302 of the Immigration Rules to permit an accompanying child to be granted a two year visa.

Beverley Hughes: The Immigration Rules will be changed shortly so that children qualifying under paragraph 302 of the rules may be granted limited leave to enter for up to two years.

Immigration

Parmjit Dhanda: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what circumstances the Department may retain for up to three years the passport of an individual applying for (a) SET (M) and (b) SET (F).

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 30 October 2003
	In both cases a passport is normally held while the application is being considered. It is unusual for documents to be held for three years as non-asylum applications are normally considered within a 12-month period. However, only in exceptional circumstances where, for example, a further investigation is required by the Immigration Service might this time be exceeded.
	Documents can be returned on request at any time before a decision has been made although they may not be endorsed.

Immigration Checks (Northern Ireland)

Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what immigration checks are in place at airports and ferry terminals in Northern Ireland; and under what legislation they are operating.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 21 October 2003
	Permanent immigration controls operate on passengers arriving in Northern Ireland from outside the Common Travel Area (i.e. the United Kingdom (UK), Channel Islands, Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland) under powers contained in the Immigration Act 1971 which allows immigration officers to examine passengers for the purpose of determining whether they qualify for entry, and to refuse entry to those who do not.
	Permanent facilities exist for examination of such passengers at Belfast International airport and temporary facilities operate at other airports within Northern Ireland as required. No permanent control facilities exist at any ferry port as there are no regular international ferry services.
	In addition to the above arrangements, UK Immigration Service has a responsibility for detecting immigration offenders within the UK, including Northern Ireland.
	Separate powers exist within the 1971 Act which enable Immigration Officers to arrest those reasonably suspected of being in the UK unlawfully and for the detention, pending removal from the UK, of those found to be here unlawfully.
	UK Immigration Service staff periodically conduct exercises at the main air and ferry ports in Northern Ireland to identify immigration offenders travelling between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Offenders so identified are arrested or detained under the powers referred to above.

Immigration Checks (Northern Ireland)

Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what restrictions there are upon immigration checks at airports and ferry terminals within Nothern Ireland in relation to the Common Travel Area; and on what basis immigration officers distinguish between those travelling within the CTA and those outside it.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 21 October 2003
	The Immigration Act 1971 places statutory obligations upon airlines and ferry companies to ensure that passengers arriving from outside the Common Travel Area (CTA) are presented to an immigration officer, who has the power to examine them for the purpose of determining whether they qualify for entry, and to refuse those who do not. At Belfast International airport a separate pier exists for international passengers. At other airports, and when necessary at ferry ports, ad hoc arrangements are made to ensure that international passengers are similarly segregated from those on journeys within the CTA.
	No immigration controls operate on passengers travelling on journeys within the CTA. However, if identified by a police officer or by other sources of intelligence, Immigration Officers may arrest or detain immigration offenders travelling on flights within the CTA or indeed anywhere in the UK, with a view to their removal from the UK. In doing this they use separate powers of arrest and detention contained within the 1971 Act.

Immigration Statistics

Peter Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate he has made of the number of people in the UK who are not recorded in official statistics as authorised immigrants.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 4 November 2003
	There is currently no official estimate of the number of people in the UK who are not recorded in official statistics as authorised immigrants.

Independent Police Complaints Commission

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the (a) cost and (b) remit of the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Hazel Blears: This current financial year is the Independent Police Complaint Commission's (IPCC) set up year. It has been allocated 15 million for revenue expenditure and 11.5 million for capital expenditure. The funding for future years has not yet been established.
	The IPCC's remit will be as set out in section 10 of the Police Reform Act 2002. From 1 April 2004, it will be tasked with maintaining effective and efficient arrangements for recording, handling and investigating complaints about conduct and internal conduct matters relating to persons serving with the police (regular officers, police staff, special constables and contracted escort and detention officers). It will also have the function of securing that public confidence is established and maintained in those arrangements and that they manifest an appropriate degree of independence.

Managed Migration

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on how his Department's managed migration policies are attracting immigrants to Scotland.

Beverley Hughes: The Government are responsible for migration to the United Kingdom. Our managed migration policies provide legal routes of entry that will attract migrants to all parts of the UK where this will contribute to our economy and society. The Scottish Executive is complementing these policies by developing the Fresh Talent Initiative to attract migrants to Scotland.

Mrs. Kaladura Nimali Mason

John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will make a decision on the application of Mrs. Kaladura Nimali Mason (reference M2013611/3) for naturalisation as a British citizen.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 4 November 2003
	Mrs. Mason's application has been approved. She was sent an oath of allegiance form on 31 October 2003. Once she has sworn the oath and returned the form to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, they will be able to issue a certificate of British citizenship.

National Asylum Support Service

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date the report of the independent review of the National Asylum Support Service was submitted to ministers.

Beverley Hughes: The independent team established to review the operation of the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) submitted its report on 30 May 2003.
	Mr. Digby Griffith was appointed as Secretary to the independent NASS Review Team during the first week in March 2003 and took up post on 10 March. Following a national open competition he was offered the post of Head of Accommodation in NASS on 24 April. He took up post on 30 June.

National Asylum Support Service

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the implications of the decision of the Court of Appeal in Regina versus National Asylum Support Service.

Beverley Hughes: We welcome the findings of the Court in this case. The judgment provides valuable clarification of the extent of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND)'s responsibilities for accommodating asylum seekers who have children who are sick or have disabilities. As the judgment made clear IND has always accepted that it had a duty to provide adequate accommodation for the applicant and her family, taking account of the situation of the children. Work is on-going to obtain more suitable accommodation in the area for the family.

Nationality Applications

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average time taken was to process an application for British nationality in the last five years was; and if he (a) has taken and (b) intends to take action to reduce that waiting time.

Beverley Hughes: There are no data published on actual decision times to determine applications for British citizenship. Information on expected waiting times for citizenship applications are available on the IND website; www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk and is periodically updated. As at the end of October 2003 the expected average processing times were:
	
		
			 Applications Months 
		
		
			 Naturalisation 6.2 
			 Adult 2.0 
			 Minor 6.9 
			 Other 1.4 
		
	
	However, this time may be significantly reduced if all relevant documents are sent with the application form.
	The casework consideration process has been extensively reviewed by the Nationality Group to minimise delays. This has resulted in a reduction to waiting times during this financial year; over 25 per cent. of cases are now decided within one month of receipt. In addition to this, a review of Nationality Group processes was commissioned to focus on ways of reducing the backlog of work and cutting waiting times further. The review report was accepted by the Minister in October .An action plan is now being formulated to take forward its recommendations.

Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in relation to sections (a) 96, (b) 97 and (c) 98 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, how many cases have been certified by the Secretary of State in accordance with that section; how many cases so certified have been challenged (i) by judicial review and (ii) otherwise; how many challenges were successful; and what the grounds were in each case of challenge.

Beverley Hughes: I regret that the information requested is unavailable and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Statistics on the numbers of certified refusals at asylum initial decisions and the outcomes of any subsequent appeals or judicial reviews are not separately available in relation to sections 96, 97 and 98 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.
	Statistics on the outcomes of initial asylum decisions and appeals are published quarterly. The next publication will be available from the 27 November 2003 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases certified as clearly unfounded under Section 94(3) of the Nationality and Immigration Asylum Act 2002 have been (a) challenged successfully and (b) challenged unsuccessfully by judicial review; and, in each case where the challenge was successful, what the grounds of the challenge were.

Beverley Hughes: Section 94(3) of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2003 relate to nationalities subject to non-suspensive appeal (NSA). NSA provisions have been applied since 7 November 2002. The number of applications received from such nationalities has fallen significantly.
	I regret that the information requested is not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
	Information on asylum initial decisions is published quarterly. The next publication will be available on 27 November 2003 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate web site at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  in how many cases considered under section 94(3) of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 he decided that the claim was not clearly unfounded, broken down by country of origin of claimants;
	(2)  how many (a) asylum and (b) human rights claims were certified by the Secretary of State as clearly unfounded under Section 94(3) of the Nationality Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, broken down by country of origin of claimant.

Beverley Hughes: I regret that the information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Information on asylum initial decisions is published quarterly. The next publication will be available on 27 November 2003 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Overseas Students (Visa Charges)

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of overseas pupils attending boarding schools in the United Kingdom who will be required to pay visa charges under new regulations.

Beverley Hughes: No figures are available for the number of boarding school children who will be required to pay for applications for leave to remain in the United Kingdom following the introduction of charging for leave to remain which was introduced on 1 August 2003.
	The cost of an application for leave to remain in the United Kingdom is 155 if sent by post or 250 if lodged in person.

Overseas Students (Visa Charges)

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of overseas pupils attending boarding schools in the United Kingdom who will miss a period of school due to delays in granting visas.

Beverley Hughes: Student entry clearance applications do not allow us to differentiate those attending boarding schools from others. Globally, over 90 per cent. of all straightforward applications were processed within 24 hours in the financial year 200203. By their nature applications from boarding school students are straightforward in most cases.
	UK visas has not received any complaints that students have missed school due to delays in processing entry clearance applications.

Overseas Students (Visa Charges)

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the additional charges for overseas student visas contain an element for cost recovery for the past costs of administering such visas in accordance with Treasury guidance.

Beverley Hughes: The fees are set under Treasury rules to recover the full administrative cost entailed in considering applications and no more. This is calculated taking the overall costs of processing applications for one year divided by the number of decisions we expect to make.
	Treasury guidelines state that the only actual costs may be recovered.
	The costs of dealing with applications which do not attract a fee cannot be recovered from fee paid for applications.
	Treasury rules require the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to carry out an annual fee review.

Overseas Students (Visa Charges)

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the statement by the Under-Secretary of State of 22 October 2003, Official Report, column 311WH, on visa charges, what discretion his Department has in interpreting Treasury rules on the setting of charges for visas for overseas students.

Beverley Hughes: There are no plans to increase student visa fees at this time. However, visa fees are kept under review and may be increased in order to ensure that the entry clearance operation recovers its full costs.
	The fees for leave to remain applications are set under Treasury rules to recover the full administrative cost entailed in considering applications and no more. This is calculated by taking the overall costs of processing applications divided by the number of decisions we expect to make. This is the same method used to calculate the costs of entry clearance/visa fees. There is a scale of fees for entry clearance depending on the type of visa being applied for. We were unable to introduce differential charging for leave to remain applications, as our current accounting structure does not allow for this. Consultation would not have changed this. However, this is not to close off the potential for differential charging in the future and we will again consider this when charges are reviewed.
	Fees and charges for statutory services are set in accordance with Treasury guidelines.

Overseas Students (Visa Charges)

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister of State will reply to the letter of 17 September from the General Secretary of the Independent Schools Council concerning visa charges for school pupils.

Beverley Hughes: A reply to Alistair Cooke's letter of 17 September was sent on 20 October.

Overseas Students (Visa Charges)

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when, and by what means, he advertised the introduction of visa charges for overseas pupils attending United Kingdom schools.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 20 October 2003
	Theconcept of charging has been in the public domain for some time since it was debated during the passage of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary further stated his intention to charge in the White Paper: Secure Borders, Safe Haven: Integration with Diversity in Modern Britain published on 7 February 2000.
	The day the regulations were laid (10 July) there was a public announcement by way of a Press Release; information was available on the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) Website and a leaflet 'Information about New Charges' was available to customers by post and in the Public Enquiry Offices. The leaflet was also sent to IND stakeholders.

Passports

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has carried out into the effects on those on low incomes of introducing fees for (a) applications for variation of leave and (b) endorsing passports.

Beverley Hughes: We have not carried out any research into the effects to those on low incomes by the introduction of charging for leave to remain applications but the Immigration Rules require a person applying for leave to remain to be able to maintain and accommodate themselves and any dependants without recourse to public funds

Police Authorities

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the members of the Wiltshire Police Authority indicating (a) who nominated them, (b) who appointed them and (c) their political affiliation.

Hazel Blears: There are 17 members of Wiltshire police authority made up of nine councillors, three magistrates and five independent members, as shown in the table:
	
		Wiltshire Police Authority
		
			 Members Political affiliation 
		
		
			 Councillors  
			 Mrs. C. Arkell Conservative 
			 Mr. B. Ford Conservative 
			 Mrs. M. Groom Conservative 
			 Mrs. C. Soden Conservative 
			 Mr. W. Spiers Conservative 
			 Mr. D. Benfield Labour 
			 Mrs. M. Taylor Labour 
			 Mrs. M. Boulton Liberal Democratic 
			 Mr. P Sample Liberal Democratic 
			   
			 Magistrates  
			 Mr. G. Baskerville  
			 Mr. F. Palmer  
			 Mrs. M. Sitaram  
			   
			 Independent Members  
			 Mr. W. Fishlock  
			 Mr. C. Hoare  
			 Mr. I. Johnston  
			 Miss A. Scofield  
			 Mr. H. Woolnough  
		
	
	Councillors and magistrate members are nominated locally. The final decision on independent members is also taken locally but from a short list provided by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary. Members are appointed under the terms of Schedule 2 of the Police Act 1996
	The political affiliations of magistrate and independent members are not relevant to the appointment to the police authority and are not known.

Police Authorities

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he issues on the range of organisations to be represented on police authorities, with particular reference to the number of representatives from (a) district and (b) county councils.

Hazel Blears: The standard membership of a police authority outside London under section 4(1) of the Police Act 1996 is 17 members, of whom nine will be councillors appointed from relevant councils, three will be magistrates appointed by the local Magistrates Courts Committee and five will be appointed from local people (independent members) who mainly live or work in the police area. The Home Office and Association of Police Authorities published joint guidance on the selection and appointment of independent members of police authorities in England and Wales on 20 September 2002. This guidance reflects the intention in the Act that the independent membership should, as far as practical, represent the interests of a wide range of people in the community and be appropriately skilled. It does not specify organisations.
	Where there is a single relevant council in a police area, it selects from its membership the nine councillor members of the police authority according to political balance. If there is more than one relevant council, then a Joint Committee of those councils makes the appointments on the balance of parties prevailing among the members of the relevant councils taken as a whole. The apportionment between relevant councils is a matter for the Joint Committee. This is set out in Schedule 2 of the Police Act 1996 as amended.

Rural Policing

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding has been made to each police authority in England and Wales since 1995 under the Rural Sparsity Grant.

Hazel Blears: The Rural Policing Fund was introduced in 200001. Allocations to the end of this financial year are set out in the table.
	
		Rural Policing Fundallocations 200001 to 200304 -- 
		
			 Police authority 200001 200102 200203 200304 
		
		
			 Avon  Somerset 494,892 992,875 993,718 978,223 
			 Bedfordshire 81,390 163,540 163,555 164,272 
			 Cambridgeshire 561,585 1,125,169 1,126,395 1,098,821 
			 Cheshire 115,058 228,487 227,493 228,073 
			 Cumbria 690,613 1,370,910 1,360,324 1,355,658 
			 Derbyshire 208,347 416,190 415,196 407,488 
			 Devon  Cornwall 1,554,673 3,114,489 3,128,806 3,122,895 
			 Dorset 221,858 442,209 443,158 441,478 
			 Durham 124,270 246,803 245,259 239,908 
			 Dyfed Powys 1,297,570 2,588,337 2,583,979 2,621,899 
			 Essex 251,315 503,710 504,105 501,773 
			 Gloucestershire 387,093 776,548 775,749 778,455 
			 Gwent 102,895 204,476 203,489 202,360 
			 Hampshire 110,175 220,430 219,680 219,421 
			 Humberside 357,640 710,250 705,395 698,109 
			 Kent 298,863 599,342 599,700 595,161 
			 Lancashire 32,228 64,054 63,835 63,419 
			 Leicestershire 216,758 433,988 433,164 428,056 
			 Lincolnshire 985,951 1,978,690 1,984,449 2,032,554 
			 Norfolk 1,036,848 2,078,830 2,085,509 2,076,414 
			 Northamptonshire 350,892 704,141 705,137 712,539 
			 North Wales 770,617 1,533,723 1,530,130 1,542,644 
			 North Yorkshire 1,005,224 2,013,806 2,018,359 2,018,029 
			 Staffordshire 138,358 275,072 273,147 270,884 
			 Suffolk 711,353 1,422,627 1,424,923 1,407,313 
			 Surrey 5,463 11,048 11 ,006 10,825 
			 Sussex 273,834 550,563 549,849 541,847 
			 Thames Valley 629,559 1,262,860 1,261,933 1,245,238 
			 Warwickshire 282,108 562,546 561,338 558,987 
			 West Mercia 1,157,670 2,311,653 2,309,690 2,341,925 
			 Wiltshire 544,900 1,092,634 1,091,530 1,095,332 
			 Totals 15,000,000 30,000,000 30,000,000 30,000,000

Police Strength

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) police officers and (b) police civilian staff each police authority in England and Wales had in each year since 1995.

Hazel Blears: The following tables show the number of police officers from 1995 to 2003 and police staff from 1996 to 2003 (1995 data not available) for each police force area in England and Wales.
	
		Police officer strength(110)
		
			  Mar 1995 Mar 1996 Mar 1997 Mar 1998 Mar 1999 Mar 2000 Mar 2001 Mar 2002 Mar 2003(111) 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 3,000 2,981 2,989 2,976 2,999 2,934 2,994 3,096 3,149 
			 Bedfordshire 1,126 1,128 1,094 1,079 1,041 1,028 1,036 1,069 1,106 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,261 1,238 1,302 1,291 1,274 1,237 1,296 1,362 1,384 
			 Cheshire 1,932 1,998 2,046 2,042 2,071 2,011 2,002 2,059 2,119 
			 Cleveland 1,438 1,420 1,459 1,483 1,416 1,404 1,407 1,461 1,582 
			 Cumbria 1,167 1,115 1,144 1,164 1,126 1,084 1,048 1,100 1,140 
			 Derbyshire 1,797 1,763 1,791 1,772 1,759 1,777 1,823 1,848 2,003 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2,877 2,899 2,865 2,962 2,887 2,841 2,934 3,053 3,202 
			 Dorset 1,288 1,263 1,284 1,310 1,279 1,306 1,354 1,381 1,416 
			 Durham 1,353 1,401 1,461 1,515 1,568 1,558 1,595 1,614 1,651 
			 Essex 2,921 2,884 2,961 2,928 2,891 2,806 2,897 2,946 2,989 
			 Gloucestershire 1,163 1,133 1,133 1,104 1,104 1,114 1,173 1,183 1,227 
			 Greater Manchester 7,037 6,938 6,922 6,949 6,810 6,795 6,909 7,217 7,343 
			 Hampshire 3,256 3,347 3,452 3,490 3,473 3,419 3,438 3,480 3,668 
			 Hertfordshire 1,703 1,712 1,759 1,740 1,724 1,767 1,922 1,825 1,957 
			 Humberside 2,029 2,041 2,045 2,021 1,974 1,932 1,917 2,058 2,105 
			 Kent .3,117 3,120 3,260 3,251 3,201 3,204 3,319 3,355 3,487 
			 Lancashire 3,212 3,171 3,247 3,257 3,245 3,179 3,255 3,304 3,339 
			 Leicestershire 1,839 1,908 1,949 1,983 1,993 1,993 2,032 2,100 2,114 
			 Lincolnshire 1,199 1,145 1,196 1,191 1,140 1,115 1,202 1,198 1,221 
			 City of London 885 869 859 825 778 732 703 764 808 
			 Merseyside 4,659 4,411 4,230 4,216 4,211 4,085 4,081 4,125 4,099 
			 Metropolitan police 27,480 27,343 26,677 26,094 26,073 25,485 24,878 26,223 27,984 
			 Norfolk 1,395 1,401 1,432 1,430 1,381 1,381 1,420 1,468 1,499 
			 Northamptonshire 1,156 1,153 1,177 1,169 1,137 1,117 1,157 1,214 1,210 
			 Northumbria 3,606 3,668 3,677 3,769 3,840 3,788 3,857 3,929 3,943 
			 North Yorkshire 1,300 1,324 1,338 1,367 1,337 1,283 1,305 1,417 1,444 
			 Nottinghamshire 2,319 2,318 2,323 2,323 2,225 2,204 2,275 2,330 2,411 
			 South Yorkshire 3,040 3,073 3,159 3,182 3,168 3,163 3,197 3,199 3,183 
			 Staffordshire 2,231 2,209 2,211 2,292 2,238 2,170 2,129 2,133 2,202 
			 Suffolk 1,191 1,138 1,180 1,186 1,190 1,145 1,133 1,203 1,253 
			 Surrey 1,676 1,644 1,620 1,608 1,662 1,785 2,066 1,992 1,906 
			 Sussex 2,931 3,074 3,085 2,996 2,847 2,822 2,855 2,893 2,989 
			 Thames Valley 3,854 3,674 3,695 3,776 3,748 3,740 3,703 3,762 3,833 
			 Warwickshire 1,013 979 926 924 908 900 926 969 997 
			 West Mercia 2,046 2,017 2,040 2,010 2,025 1,887 1,951 2,018 2,256 
			 West Midlands 7,019 7,145 7,113 7,156 7,321 7,194 7,423 7,681 7,751 
			 West Yorkshire 5,050 5,142 5,209 5,155 4,982 4,822 4,815 4,889 5,029 
			 Wiltshire 1,261 1,218 1,154 1,156 1,151 1,118 1,120 1,157 1,158 
			 Dyfed-Powys 976 991 1,005 1,002 1,026 1,040 1,055 1,132 1,149 
			 Gwent 997 1,044 1,243 1,233 1,247 1,264 1,274 1,333 1,341 
			 North Wales 1,366 1,378 1,369 1,396 1,391 1,403 1,444 1,506 1,539 
			 South Wales 3,014 3,027 2,976 2,986 2,981 2,926 3,154 3,222 3,239 
			 Total 125,180 124,844 125,051 124,756 123,841 121,956 123,476 127,267 131,426 
		
	
	(110) Full-time equivalents.
	(111) Comparable strength.
	
		Civilian staff strength(112)
		
			  Mar 1996 Mar 1997 Mar 1998 Mar 1999 Mar 2000 Mar 2001 Mar 2002 Mar 2003 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 1,213 1,438 1,393 1,424 1,436 1,452 1,611 1,785 
			 Bedfordshire 472 484 523 483 490 491 524 595 
			 Cambridgeshire 530 607 574 586 503 614 733 786 
			 Cheshire 690 735 781 785 823 833 884 1,008 
			 Cleveland 553 609 586 552 595 586 626 694 
			 Cumbria 408 451 451 442 469 588 631 676 
			 Derbyshire 656 723 787 818 826 875 953 1,061 
			 Devon and Cornwall 1,121 1,159 1,186 1,215 1,343 1,453 1,639 1,834 
			 Dorset 621 615 651 702 686 682 74.1 793 
			 Durham 531 583 557 559 590 566 660 602 
			 Essex 1,130 1,199 1,252 1,273 1,348 1,447 1,571 1,682 
			 Gloucestershire 415 435 423 504 484 506 545 590 
			 Greater Manchester 2,749 2,612 2,661 2,623 2,822 2,858 3,135 3,173 
			 Hampshire 1,323 1,316 1,331 1,381 1,443 1,424 1,597 1,720 
			 Hertfordshire 754 818 831 835 890 935 1,121 1,299 
			 Humberside 683 718 789 840 840 808 816 880 
			 Kent 1,141 1,384 1,470 1,582 1,647 1,796 1,958 2,095 
			 Lancashire 1,349 1,126 1,143 1,198 1,422 1,369 1,442 1,489 
			 Leicestershire 667 755 774 802 805 806 816 934 
			 Lincolnshire 442 521 541 517 516 561 600 641 
			 City of London 324 347 334 314 285 233 247 . 268 
			 Merseyside 1,560 1,343 1,502 1,356 1,458 1,418 1,532 1,752 
			 Metropolitan police 14,372 13,493 12,432 11,257 10,605 10,040 10,459 11,358 
			 Norfolk 529 603 646 648 655 694 819 924 
			 Northamptonshire 511 554 577 587 599 694 742 812 
			 Northumbria 1,319 1,365 1,362 1,443 1,417 1,344 1,403 1,457 
			 North Yorkshire 520 519 543 541 492 591 743 723 
			 Nottinghamshire 979 1,003 987 1,039 1,024 1,039 1,087 1,180 
			 South Yorkshire 1,418 1,291 1,243 1,273 1,391 1,312 1,352 1,510 
			 Staffordshire 754 763 866 1,004 858 935 1,030 1,146 
			 Suffolk 485 522 583 594 600 621 692 713 
			 Surrey 754 727 743 733 762 897 1,043 1,245 
			 Sussex 1,131 1,149 1,185 1,393 1,328 1,454 1,507 1,578 
			 Thames Valley 1,738 1,825 1,827 1,799 1,786 1,891 2,061 . 2,412 
			 Warwickshire 376 376 398 406 394 412 459 503 
			 West Mercia 964 942 975 975 1,043 1,095 1,116 1,233 
			 West Midlands 2,780 2,739 2,817 2,652 2,695 2,819 3,007 3,012 
			 West Yorkshire 2,037 2,234 2,304 2,216 2,199 2,228 2,364 2,538 
			 Wiltshire 453 475 519 555 563 622 649 703 
			 Dyfed-Powys 310. 322 341 341 359 401 459 502 
			 Gwent 378 452 477 487 498 537 570 607 
			 North Wales 512 476 479 508 519 498 645 703 
			 South Wales 1,287 1,206 1,132 1,223 1,081 1,270 1,435 1,366 
			 England and Wales 52,933 53,011 52,975 52,465 52,588 53,693 58,022 62,581 
		
	
	(112) Full-time equivalents.

Police Reorganisation

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to reorganise the Police Service in England.

Hazel Blears: A major consultation exercise on the future direction of police reform was launched on 4 November 2003 with the publication of Policing: Building Safer Communities Together. Among other things, this paper opens the debate on whether the current 43 force structure in England and Wales is the right one for today's and tomorrow's policing needs.
	We are clear that any structural change will need to deliver improvements in police performance and delivery of service.

Deportations

Denzil Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals who had been refused political asylum were deported in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Beverley Hughes: Deportations are a just one type of removal; others include: persons subject to administrative removal, removal due to illegal entry action or those refused entry at port and subsequently removed.
	The table shows the number of asylum seekers who were removed from the United Kingdom between 2000 and 2002. These are steadily being increased.
	
		Removals and voluntary departures(113)of asylum applicants,2000 to 2002(114)
		
			  2000 2001 (115)2002 
		
		
			 Principal Applicants 8,980 9,285 10,740 
			 Dependants(116) N/a 1,495 3,170 
		
	
	(113) Figures have been rounded to the nearest five.
	(114) Includes persons departing voluntarily after enforcement action has been initiated against them and persons leaving under the Assisted Voluntary Return Programmes run by the International Organisation for Migration, and removals on safe third country grounds.
	(115) Provisional data subject to change.
	(116) Data on dependants removed have been collected only since April 2001 onwards.
	N/ANot available
	Information on asylum removals is published quarterly. The next publication will cover the third quarter (July to September) of 2003 and will be available from 27 November 2002 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Deportations

Denzil Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals lost their appeals to the adjudicator against the refusal of political asylum in the last three years for which figures are available.

Beverley Hughes: The latest available data is given in the following tables. The tables show the outcomes of appeals determined by adjudicators of the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA), further appeals to the tribunal (including those brought by the Secretary of State), and applications for judicial review in the last three years. Only a proportion of those that are refused asylum lodge appeals, and the majority of appeals are dismissed.
	Cases are determined according to their individual merits. The figures relate to numbers of cases; appeals determined by the IAA may relate to initial decisions made in previous years, and appeals determined by the IAT may relate to cases determined at the IAA made in previous years.
	
		Asylum appeals determined by adjudicators of the Immigration Appellate Authority, excluding dependants(117),(118)
		
			  Number of principal appellants 
			   Allowed(120) Dismissed(120) Withdrawn(120) 
			  Total determined(119) Total As percentage of total determined Total As percentage of total determined Total As percentage of total determined 
		
		
			  
			  
			 2000 19,395 3,340 17 15,580 80 475 2 
			 2001 43,415 8,155 19 34,440 79 825 2 
			 2002 64,405 13,875 22 48,845 76 1,685 3 
			 2003
			 Q1 20,595 3,480 17 16,445 80 670 3 
			 Q2 19,345 4,060 21 14,875 77 415 2 
		
	
	(117) Figures, other than percentages, rounded to the nearest 5. Numbers might not add up due to rounding.
	(118) Data for 2002 and 2003 are provisional.
	(119) Based on information supplied by the Department for Constitutional Affairs. Determinations do not necessarily relate to appeals received in the same period.
	(120) Based on data supplied from the Presenting Officers Unit within the Home Office.
	Note:
	Estimate. Figures rounded to the nearest hundred, and subject to later revision.
	
		Further appeals to the Tribunal, decisions, and the outcome of tribunal hearings, excluding dependants, 2000 to 2002(121) -- Number of principal appellants
		
			  Applications for leave toappeal to the tribunal(122) Appeals to the tribunal(122)  
			  Applications Decisions Received Determined 
		
		
			 2000 6,020 5,490 1,615 2,635 
			 2001 15,540 13,540 3,860 3,190 
			 2002(P) 25,600 22,825 6,920 5,565 
		
	
	
		Number of principal appellants
		
			  Outcome of tribunal hearings(123) 
			  Allowed Dismissed Withdrawn Remitted to adjudicatorsfor further consideration 
		
		
			 2000 815 1,385 220 215 
			 2001 475 1,140 150 1,430 
			 2002(124) 620 2,015 225 2,700 
		
	
	
		Number of principal appellants
		
			  Outcome of Tribunal Hearings(123) 
			Appellant   Secretary of State 
			  Allowed Dismissed Withdrawn Allowed Dismissed Withdrawn 
		
		
			 2000 650 1,225 185 170 165 35 
			 2001 315 1,020 25 160 120 25 
			 2002(124) 410 1,880 210 215 130 15 
		
	
	(121) Figures rounded to the nearest 5. Numbers might not add up due to rounding.
	(122) Figures based on data supplied by the Department for Constitutional Affairs. Decisions and determinations do not necessarily correspond to applications and appeals received in any given year.
	(123) Figures supplied by the Presenting Officers Unit. Figures for OctoberDecember 1999 are based on data for November-December.
	(124) Provisional figures.
	Note:
	Revised figures.
	
		Applications for judicial review, and outcomes, excluding dependants, 1994 to 2002
		
			  Applications for leave to move for judicial review(125) 
			  Applications Decisions(126) of which granted leave to move Percentage of applicants granted leave to move(127) Total 
		
		
			 2000(130) 1,920 2,095 555 (26) 365 
			 2001(130) 2,210 2,300 290 (13) 260 
			 2002(131) 3,075 2,980 260 (9) 25 
		
	
	
		
			  The outcome of judicial review hearings(125) 
			   Allowed(128)  Dismissed(130) Withdrawn 
			  As percentage of total determined Total As percentage of total determined Total As percentage of total determined 
		
		
			 2000(130) (48) 300 (40) 95 (12) 
			 2001(130) (68) 60 (16) 60 (16) 
			 2002(131) (30) 60 (67) 5 (3) 
		
	
	(125) Figures based on Administrative Court data. Figures (other than percentages) rounded to the nearest 5 with . = 1 or 2.
	(126) Decisions do not relate to applications in any given period.
	(127) The number of which granted leave to move as a percentage of decisions.
	(128) The decision of the respondent (in this case, the Home Office or the Department for Constitutional Affairs) was quashed. These figures include consent orders where the JR was conceded by the respondent.
	(129) The decision of the respondent was upheld.
	(130) Figures exclude judicial reviews brought in cases relating to asylum support (NASS).
	(131) Provisional figures.
	Figures on asylum appeals are published quarterly and are available on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate web site at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html

Prisoner Transfers

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many vehicles he has had available on average on each day in the last three months for the transfer of prisoners (a) between prisons and (b) between court and prison; and how many vehicles are operated by the private sector;
	(2)  how many prisoners on average were transferred each day between prisons and between court and prison in the last three months.

Paul Goggins: There were around 1,600 prisoner movements between courts and prisons and around 300 prisoners transferred between prisons by private sector contractors on average, each day, in the last three months. No central record is kept of prisoners transferred by the Prison Service.
	On average, 760 vehicles were available each day in the last three months for the transfer of prisoners, 706 of which were operated by private sector contractors. 54 vehicles are owned by and are available to the Prison Service.

Prison Reception Areas

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those of Her Majesty's Prisons that have no covered reception area for visitors.

Paul Goggins: The procedures for managing visitors awaiting entry to a prison varies at each establishment and is not recorded centrally.
	The provision of a covered area immediately outside the gates is often dependent on the structural design of the prison building. However, around 109 establishments provide a visitors' centre which offers visitors both shelter and, in most cases, support services that are available before and immediately after the visit is due to take place.
	Many of those who do not have a centre provide basic facilities such as a waiting area. Recent enquiries suggest that around 10 prisons appear to have no current plans for a visitors' centre and we are exploring with them their intentions in terms of assisting visitors.

Prison Suicides

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are being introduced to reduce the suicide rate in prisons apart from the installation of safe cells.

Paul Goggins: The Prison Service is in the final year of a three-year programme to develop policies and practices to reduce prisoner suicide in prisons. Over the next few months the outcome of this programme will be reviewed taking into account pilot project evaluations and emerging research findings. The next steps and approaches will be resolved in consultation with partner agencies such as the Youth Justice Board and outside organisations such as Samaritans.
	As part of this close partnership with other agencies and organisations, there has been a targeting of efforts where the risks are highest. A particular focus, and an investment of over 21 million over the three year programme, has been on physical improvements at six pilot sites. These improvements have been in reception, first night and induction areas, installing more first night centres, and by having more crisis suites and gated cells that enable staff to watch at-risk prisoners closely.
	Dedicated drug detoxification units and mental health in-reach support have also been established, along with a series of inter-related projects to develop improved suicide prevention and self-harm management policies, concentrating on pre-reception, reception and induction arrangements; inter-agency information exchange; prisoner care and peer support, and learning from investigations into deaths in custody.
	Prison Service Suicide Prevention Co-ordinators have been trained and are now operating in the majority of prisons. Additionally, the Samaritans are recruiting and training more prisoner peer supporters (known as Listeners) in high-risk establishments. Listeners are prisoner volunteers who are selected, trained and supported by Samaritans to offer confidential support to their fellow prisoners who may be at risk of suicide, otherwise in crisis, or simply in need of someone to talk to. 1,241 new Listeners were recruited between 1 October 2001 and 31 March 2003 with further recruitment and training continuing. The scheme's objectives are to assist in preventing suicide, reducing self-harm and to help alleviate the feelings of those in distress.

Race Equality

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 in promoting race equality; and what criteria he applied in carrying out the assessment.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Government work closely with the Commission for Racial Equality, (CRE) which has statutory responsibility for enforcing the duty to promote race equality under the Race Relations Act 1976 (as amended by the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000).
	The CRE commissioned Schneider-Ross, a firm of diversity consultants to evaluate the response of public authorities to the statutory duty to promote race equality. The research had two main elements, quantitative and qualitative, covering two core stages. The first of these was a questionnaire based survey of 3,338 public authorities and educational institutions, using two questionnaires designed to address the different elements of the general and specific duties that apply to the two broad categories. The second was an analysis of a random sample of 143 race equality schemes and policies from the main sectors covered by the duty, assessed against the recommendations of CRE Code of Practice and CRE guidance materials.
	The Schneider-Ross report found that overall local government was the highest achieving sector. Around a third of local authorities were on track; a third had good foundations to respond well to the duty to promote, and, a third needed to carry out more work in order to comply. The criminal justice service was strong, especially in the police and probation services. The weakest sector was schools.
	The Home Office has initiated a Race Relations (Amendment) Act Strategic Sectoral Audit.
	The audit is a sector by sector analysis of whether the key ingredients for success are present or not in each sector. The work on mapping the landscape of current sector activity builds on the findings of the Schneider-Ross survey. We are working closely with the CRE to take this forward quickly so that necessary support and attention can be made available to those public bodies who need it.

Hendon Police College (Racism)

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to deal with the issue of racism at the Peel Centre Police College, Hendon; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that the Department of Professional Standards and senior managers at Hendon Training College have already taken action on recently reported cases. One student at Hendon has resigned as a result of making racist comments; two fellow students have been suspended as a result of failing to report the above incident; one student has resigned as a result of making a sexist comment.
	The Commissioner has recently established a working group to bring together work already undertaken by the Metropolitan Police Service in relation to race and diversity. Part of this work includes a review of Hendon Training School.

Rape

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions for rape involving the use of drugs there were in (a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) the first half of 2003.

Paul Goggins: The statistics collected centrally do not enable convictions for rape involving the use of drugs to be identified.

Staff Training (Non-departmental Public Bodies)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is compulsory for his Department's staff to undertake training on the Home Office/non-departmental public body relationship as soon as they begin dealing with NDPBs.

Fiona Mactaggart: For each Non Departmental Public Body (NDPB), there is a corresponding Sponsor Team who are the first point of contact in the Home Office, and are responsible for managing the relationship. These Sponsor Teams are collectively supported by an Advisory Team, offering specialist knowledge, and a network of contacts across the Home Office and in other Government Departments.
	Individual Home Office members of staff agree personal development and training plans annually with their managers. This would be undertaken immediately they join a Sponsor Team or the Central Advisory Team. In either of these teams training is not mandatory but is tailored to the individuals according to theirs and the Department's need.

Staff Training (Non-departmental Public Bodies)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what circumstances training is given to his Department's staff who deal with non-departmental public bodies.

Fiona Mactaggart: For each Non Departmental Public Body (NDPB), there is a corresponding Sponsor Team who are the first point of contact in the Home Office, and are responsible for managing the relationship. These Sponsor Teams are collectively supported by an Advisory Team, offering specialist knowledge, and a network of contacts across the Home Office and in Other Government Departments.
	Individual Home Office members of staff agree personal development and training plans annually with their managers. This would be undertaken immediately they join a Sponsor Team or the Central Advisory Team.

Street Crime Initiative

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what aspects of the Street Crime Initiative he intends to implement in all areas.

Hazel Blears: Police forces not involved in the Street Crime Initiative will benefit from best practice circulated by the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Home Office's Police Standards Unit, including a CD Rom, Tactical Options from the Street Crime Initiative, which has been distributed to all police forces. Lessons are also being learnt from the Street Crime Initiative relating to the handling of street crime cases through the Criminal Justice System by the police, Crown Prosecution Service and the courts. These lessons, about getting the case right from the start, providing better support for victims and witnesses, and managing cases robustly in court, are being applied more widely as part of the work on bringing more offences to justice and improving public confidence in the criminal justice system.

Terrorism Act 2000

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for authorisations under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 received in the last three years have been (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful.

David Blunkett: Home Office records show that since the Terrorism Act came into force on 19 February 2001, 678 stop and search authorisations under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2001 have been confirmed. Of these there have been two instances where the powers have not been confirmed by the Secretary of State.
	Each authorisation is given full consideration. They are confirmed only if the Secretary of State is satisfied that their use is necessary to prevent acts of terrorism as set against the background of the current threat level.

Work-related Stress

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of work-related stress have been reported in his Department in each of the last three years; how much compensation has been paid to employees; how many work days have been lost due to work-related stress; and at what cost; what procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress, and at what cost; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: Information on sickness absence and compensation payments due to 'work-related' stress are not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department does, however, monitor factors relating to workplace stress including workload and working conditions through its staff surveys. The Department has taken action to address some of the main identified factors, including filling vacancies, recognition of good performance and improving technology. The Home Office is committed to supporting staff in achieving a balance between their work and home responsibilities and has a range of flexible working patterns to help staff achieve this.
	A welfare service is available and offers personal support for staff suffering from any form of stress. In addition, stress awareness courses are available and information on how to recognise stress and suggested coping strategies, is accessible via the Home Office Intranet. The aim of these resources is to help staff recognise the early signs of stress and take appropriate action.
	The Department is aware of its legal obligation to provide a safe working environment for employees and is committed to meeting targets for reducing the number of working days lost generally due to work related injuries and illness arising from the government's Revitalising Health and Safety initiative.